The Bet 2: The Musical
by SLs-short-words
Summary: JONAS. Kevin and Macy bet on who can find the love of Nick's life while the entire gang gets involved in their school musical. Kacy, Joella, Nick/?
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to everyone who commented and reviewed the last story. Here's the start of the sequel (obviously)!

**Disclaimer: **Characters not mine

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**Chapter 1: How it all began again**

They were disgusting. Really. He had tried to be understanding at first because he knew how long they had yearned after one another secretly, but that had been months ago and the honeymoon phase should have been over by quite a span. He didn't need this display of affection in his life every single time the pair saw each other.

It wasn't even that they were doing anything—their affection reserved to a few quick, shy kisses here and there unless they were alone. It was simply the amount of affection they had for each other. It was the way they would stare at each other with wide, loving gazes. It was the way they would hold hands under the table and both look up at the same time to exchange tiny smiles from the corners of their mouths.

"Could you guys not do that here, please."

"Do what?"

"That," Nick said, waving a pencil in Kevin and Macy's direction.

"We aren't doing anything."

"You are. You're... exuding love. You're exuding so much love that I'm suffocating on it. I'm trying to write here."

Macy raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing it's not a love song."

Nick narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't say anything. So what if it was a love song? That didn't mean they had to distract him with their love while he was trying to pen down one that didn't exist.

"Moody," Macy mumbled under her breath.

"He's just upset because his date with Layton didn't go well."

"Who's Layton?" Macy asked.

Kevin shrugged. "Some girl in his science class that Nick asked out. Apparently, Layton doesn't like baseball or discussing anything that isn't pink or involve her hair."

"Sounds like a great date."

"If you're going to talk about me like I'm not in the room, could you do it somewhere else, please? Like in a room I'm actually not in."

"It's a free room, man."

This is what he got for not insisting on his own bedroom when they moved to the firehouse.

"You know what your problem is, Nick?"

"You two?"

Macy smiled despite her friend's grumpiness. "No. I've told you before what your problem is."

"Not this again."

"You just haven't found love."

"I've found love, thank you very much. It's just kicked me in the ass every time I've found it. I'm taking a love break."

"And we should really do something about you not finding love," Macy continued as though he had never spoken.

"Weren't we supposed to do that already?" Kevin asked.

"Huh?"

"Weren't we going to make a bet or something? Remember, after the Brooke thing. I'm sure we said something about it."

"No you didn't," Nick quickly answered.

"Oh, we so did." Macy turned so her smile was pointed in Kevin's direction instead of Nick's. "So what are our terms?"

"Whoever can find the love of Nick's life wins."

"Um, no."

"Right," Macy agreed, once again ignoring Nick. "And the winner?"

"Remember that thing we were talking about the other day?"

Macy's brow furrowed as she watched Kevin for a moment. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Kevin nodded.

"We are definitely on." She thrust out her hand which Kevin was quick to shake.

Though he was more curious than he would ever admit to being, Nick didn't dare ask any questions about the bet that was being established in front of him. Sure, he wanted to know what had gotten Macy so excited, but asking would almost be like condoning what they were doing, and the last thing he wanted to do was give off even a hint that he approved of the pair meddling in his love life.

"Call off the bet now. I wouldn't trust either of you to find me the love of a day, never mind the love of my life. I'm fine without your help, so just stay out."

Nick gathered his notebook and pens and left the room in a loud huff. Unfortunately, he was still able to hear Macy when she whispered to Kevin that "they better hurry because their help was needed as quickly as possible."

***

Kevin swung Macy's arm back and forth as they walked toward her house. The simple fact that she would let him hold her hand still thrilled him, and the movement of their arms together only helped remind him of the contact.

"So, who do you have in mind?"

"You," Kevin answered automatically.

Macy laughed as she pulled his hand so they would be walking closer together.

"I meant who did you have in mind for Nick?"

"We're really going to bet on this?"

"We already have, haven't we?"

Kevin shook his head. "You know he's going to want to kill us."

"Oh, he'll forget all about it when I find him the girl of his dreams."

"You? No way! I'm totally the one who's going to find the girl for him."

"How can you if I'm the only girl on your mind. Unless of course you're suggesting that I change brothers."

"I am definitely not suggesting that," Kevin told her as he untangled his fingers from hers and looped his arm around Macy's shoulders to pull her against him.

"Just checking..."

"Why? Who do you have in mind for Nick?"

"I have a few ideas," she told him with a shrug.

"And you aren't going to tell me?"

"Nope." Macy shook her head and hopped up the steps of the front porch to her house. "I'm not letting you steal my idea just so you can win."

"You're no fun." Kevin pouted.

"Sure."

"I have ways of making you talk, you know."

"Do you?" Macy asked, even as Kevin was leaning toward her, both her hands held captive in his.

"Hmm."

Both bodies sprang back at the sound.

"Hi, daddy."

"Mr. Misa." Kevin took another step back from Macy. "How are you today?"

"Late for a golf game," the man said as he pushed his way between the couple and dropped a kiss on Macy's forehead. "I'll see you later, sweetie."

"Bye, daddy."

The couple waved as they watched the man drive away.

"He hates me," Kevin told Macy with a shake of the head.

"He doesn't hate you. He just doesn't know you yet."

"He doesn't want to know me. He wants you to dump your rockstar boyfriend and go out with a jock boy who he knows will have their parents and coach riding to be perfect and will therefore barely have any time for you and won't be a threat."

Macy scoffed and shook her head. "No. Of course not."

"You are a worse liar than I am."

"No, really. I think he's warming up to you. The other day he asked if you were coming over for supper this weekend."

"He asked so that you would invite me or he asked so he could schedule some kind of sports event in order to be out of the house in case I was going to be over?"

Macy paused as she thought about her answer.

"I really do think he's warming up to you."

"I really don't."

Macy smiled and stood on her toes so she could press her lips against Kevin's.

"Well, either way, I like you."

"That's good."

"I better get in. My mom's probably watching from the window or something. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded as he reluctantly loosened his grip on Macy's hands.

"And I'm totally going to win, by the way."

He offered her a crooked smile as she disappeared behind the door. He waited until she was gone before he let out a loud sigh. One girl for Nick and one anxious father to win over. Piece of cake, right?


	2. Chapter 2: Let the music begin

Hello. Thanks for all the comments and reviews. This chapter really welcomes Joe to the story, who usually doesn't do much in my stories, but will have his own storyline in this one.

**Disclaimer: **Not my characters.

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**Chapter 2: Let the music begin**

Macy's smile widened as she sat next to Nick on the bench in the atrium. His eyes narrowed and his hands held his guitar tightly.

She nodded.

"Hi..."

"Hi," she chirped.

Nick watched her for a moment, the grin never fading from her face.

"What's up, Macy?"

"Well, I was thinking, did you know that I have never interviewed you for my Jonas fan site?"

Nick shook his head. "I guess so. I mean, I've never thought about it, but you never have."

"I've interviewed Kevin and Joe, but I've never interviewed you."

"And I guess this is your way of asking to interview me?"

Macy's grin somehow widened.

"So what do you want to know?"

Macy pulled out a stack of cue cards from her bag. "All right, first question: what do you look for in a girl?"

"That's your first question?"

"Yep."

"That's your first question? Nothing about my music, my brothers, favourite colour or anything like that?"

"Well, I..."

"Not favourite song, band, concert, or tour experience?"

"I just..."

"Are trying to get an edge on Kevin with this bet you two have going on."

Macy's jaw dropped.

"He used the exact same ploy this morning, saying you were too shy to ask me the interview questions yourself. As if I would believe that you would be too shy to do anything. You guys think a little too much alike."

Macy sighed. "So what did you tell him?"

"The same thing I'm going to tell you. Leave me out of it. I'm not some bet."

"Oh come on. We're going to do it no matter what. And who would you rather see win, me or your brother? No one wants their big brother to win, right? There has to be some sibling rivalry somewhere inside of you, Nick."

"No, I—"

"Mr. Lucas."

Both heads sprung up at the sound of the new voice.

"Yes, Mrs. Banter?"

"You're not in class."

"I have study period. So does Macy," Nick added before the guidance counsellor could set her sights on anyone else.

"I'm not worried about Miss Misa at the moment. You are the student I was looking for."

"You were looking for me?"

"Yes. Would you mind coming by my office since you don't have class?"

Nick looked over at Macy to see if she might have some explanation for him, but the only thing she had to offer was a confused shrug of the shoulders.

"Um, sure, I guess." He grabbed his bag and guitar and rose to follow the guidance counsellor.

"We can finish our conversation later, Nick," Macy called after him.

"We can, but we won't," he answered with a smile despite the worry swirling in his stomach.

***

Nick let his binder fall on the table and exhaled a loud huff of air.

"I'd ask you how it went," Macy said as she scooted her chair closer to Kevin's to make more room for Nick, "but I have a feeling that the answer is 'not well'."

"Apparently, I'm not involved in enough extra-curricular activities. Can you believe that?"

"Um... yeah," Kevin answered for the four other people around the table.

"What are you talking about? I'm as involved in extra-curricular activities as you guys are and none of you have been called to the guidance counsellor's office and told that you have to be more involved if you expect to go to college one day."

"What? All you've ever done is participate in one play and one orchestra recital. I've done both of those, plus I was a cheerleader. Actually, I think I've attended a meeting of every club this school offers at least once. New members usually get gift baskets with cookies or something."

Macy shook her head and shrugged. "I'm on every sports team imaginable, and I'm president of a club which Kevin has recently joined. Don't look at me."

"I now design all sports uniform and I get a say in next year's dress code as honorary member of the student committee. Apparently that's impressive enough. Plus, I actually hung around for more than one play in theatre. I am still in theatre group."

Joe cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. "I do stuff."

"Like what?" Nick asked.

"Stuff."

Stella giggled which earned her a confused look from Nick.

"That means wherever Stella goes, Joe goes," Macy clarified.

"What?" Joe asked, his voice suddenly high. "I have good fashion sense. I should also have a say as to what we wear around here."

"We're still working on hems though. And he's been officially banned from using the sewing machine."

Kevin laughed as he watched Joe blush once all eyes turned in his direction.

"What's the big deal, Nick? Just join something. You can come join the Jonas fan club with me and Macy. We could use more guys."

"Or I could always use extra hands," Stella shrugged.

"As unappealing as both those options are, it doesn't matter anyway. I told the guidance counsellor I wasn't interested in joining anything, so I was assigned something."

"Please tell me it's cheerleading. I swear there's enthusiasm somewhere inside of you and that might just get it out."

Nick narrowed his eyes at Kevin. "No, I've been assigned to help with the school musical."

"You've already done a play."

"I've been in a play; I haven't helped write one and apparently I should."

"That's not so bad," Joe said, dropping his hand against Nick's back. "You write music all the time. This is just more music that goes with a story."

"I don't have time for a musical."

Joe shrugged. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to make time, Nick."

"Besides, how bad can it be?" Kevin asked. "You just think up a story, write some music, give it to the director and be on your way."

"I'm only writing the music. Someone else is writing the story."

"Even better," Stella said. "You've just cut your work in half."

"Another student is writing the story."

"You were expecting Shakespeare?" Kevin asked.

"Penny is writing the story."

Four faces around the table winced.

It was one thing for Penny to break up with Nick. They had barely lasted a week, and Joe and Kevin who hadn't been sure of the pair since the start couldn't say they were entirely surprised. It was the way the couple had ended that had been the problem. Penny had dumped Nick because his songs were, in her words, "childish, monotonous and exaggerated. There were more things to life than teenage puppy love and you should really try writing about things that mattered, Nick."

The boys had eventually found out that "things that mattered" meant Penny had found an older boyfriend who was involved with PETA and SALAR, Students Against Lab Rats. He wrote music that didn't rhyme and that only featured one musical instrument: the snapping of fingers.

She could have broken up with Nick because he was boring. She could have broken up with him because she was seeing someone else. She could have broken up with him because he disgusted her. Nick could have taken any of those reasons. But she broke up with him because of music. It was one of the few times in his life that music had let Nick down, and it had taken him a long time to get over it. Now that he had, he was suddenly being thrust back towards Penny.

"So, you write the songs, she writes the story, and never the two shall meet."

"Because it's her story, she has to approve all the songs."

A silence fell over the table.

"You're sure you can't just join cheerleading?"

***

"I feel bad for Nick."

Kevin's brow furrowed as he looked down at Macy who was leaning back against his chest.

"You're thinking about Nick right now?"

Macy giggled and shifted to face Kevin on the couch.

"I can't help it. I feel bad for him. It took him so long to get over what Penny said to him, and now the school is giving her a golden opportunity to make him feel bad about his music all over again. Plus, if Nick is feeling all horrible about his music, it'll just make it that much harder to get him to fall for someone. Depressed Nick barely even notices the girls around him, much less agrees to date any of them."

Kevin pulled Macy tighter against him and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry about Nick. He's used to people criticising his music by now. Believe it or not, not everyone is as big a fan of Jonas as you are."

"First of all," Macy said, springing up and out of her boyfriend's embrace, "no one is as big a Jonas fan as I am. No one. Second of all, everyone does love Jonas; they just aren't all willing to accept it. I promise you though, there is a Jonas fan in all of us."

"That's very comforting. Either way, Nick is used to criticism. He'll just be Nick about it and stick his tongue against his cheek and narrow his eyes and get sarcastic or walk away. In the end he'll remember that he has to do this for school, and he'll find a way to compromise with her. Besides, now that we know what to expect, we can all look out for Nick."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Well," Kevin grabbed Macy's hand and pulled her once again to sit on his lap, "Stella's in theatre group and Joe and I decided that we would join for this play too, just so that we're there in case Nick needs backup. Stella had told Joe it was the one club he wasn't allowed to join with her after the Three Musketeers fiasco, but she's lifting her ban for the musical."

"Why wasn't I involved in this conversation?"

"Because you don't have free period with us. And you're already so busy with all your sports team that no one's expecting you to join another school activity."

"But all of you are going to be there every time there's a rehearsal. If I join, I'll be with you. Besides, half of the sports teams have already finished their tournaments for the year, so I have some more free time now."

"Hey, if you want to spend all your afternoons with me, I'm definitely not going to object."

Macy smiled and reached up so her lips could meet Kevin's. The contact only last a few moments before they were interrupted by the sound of a cough. Macy jumped off Kevin's lap at the sound of her father, just as he rushed to stand up. Somehow, neither of them fell to the ground.

"Hi, daddy. Guess what. Kevin and I are going to be joining our school musical."

"Musical?"

"I might help with decorations or something. I'm not going to try out for a singing part."

Her father nodded and then turned his gaze to Kevin.

"First cheerleading and now a musical. You didn't feel like trying out for baseball or basketball, or... something involving a ball?"

"My little brother's helping write the musical. We're all going to join to help out."

"Of course." Mr. Misa sighed and shifted his gaze to his daughter for a second. "Are you staying for supper, Kevin?"

"No. I have to go home and watch Frankie. Thank you for the invitation, though."

"I was just asking," the man said with a shrug of his shoulders as he left the room.

Kevin rolled his eyes once he was alone with Macy. "He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you. He really likes you."

Kevin narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, he likes you better than my last boyfriend if that's any help."

"Great. That's real promising."

"Go home, Kevin. You don't need your father mad at you too because you make him late for his night out with your mother."

He stuck out his lower lip in a pout, but Macy simply gave him a quick kiss, then turned him around with a firm grip on his shoulders and sent him toward the front door.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow. We can talk more about poor Nick then."

"I'm sure we can find something more interesting to talk about," he called over his shoulder, but was gone before she could answer anything back.

***

Joe ducked to avoid the baseball sailing over his head for the fifth time that night.

"Why are we studying at my house and not the firehouse?" Stella asked. It was the fifth time she'd spoken the words as well. One for every time the ball had almost hit them. "You know my little brother never lets us study in peace when we try to get anything done here."

"If we were studying at my house, we'd be baby-sitting Frankie at the same time. At least here, your mom can distract your brother whenever you yell for her."

"Next time we're going to the library," Stella huffed as she turned the page in her book.

"I thought you'd banned the library."

Stella's cheek turned red as she processed the words. It wasn't the first time she threw a little hissy fit about their study venue, but the last time she had said something and they had gone to the library, she had somehow found herself pressed up against a shelf of books with Joe's lips against hers and his hands on her hips. In typical Joe and Stella fashion, they had vowed to pretend the incident had never happened and she had banned the library as a study venue.

"Stupid rule," she muttered to herself.

Maybe if she hadn't said no to any future library visits she and Joe would finally have discussed what had happened between them, and not completely ignored it as they were doing now. Just like when they had shared their first kiss after the disastrous double-date at El Meat. They had kissed, they had kissed again the next day, and then... nothing.

It had confused Kevin and Nick as much as it had them, but in the end, all four of them were now at the point where they didn't mention the incident, and really pretended it had never happened at all.

"So is the library banned or not?" Joe asked, clearing his throat with the question.

Stella tilted her head and scratched behind her ear. It was a loaded question, if she said yes, she might be inviting future, never to be discussed make out sessions with Joe. If she said no... there was the possibility that she would never again feel his lips against hers.

"Stella?"

"Huh?"

"I asked you if that meant we might... study in the library. You know... sometime in the future."

"Well, I mean, if we had nowhere else to go."

"Yeah?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

Joe smiled the grin Stella had already identified as the one that came out when he was nervous.

"Cool."


	3. Chapter 3: Audition day

Hey guys. Thanks for all the reviews and comments as always.

**Disclaimer: **Not my characters.

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**Chapter 3: Audition day**

From the back of the theatre, it almost looked like he was in his element. It almost looked like he was comfortable and actually wanted to be there. Then again, he was on a stage, and Nick Lucas was made to be on a stage (well, really he was perhaps made to be in a recording studio, but he'd been on stages often enough to make that seem like second nature as well).

From the inside, he was shaking. It wasn't the stage itself or the crowd of people around him, it was the play. It was the story. It was Penny who had shaken her head when he'd read her the title of the first song he had written for "her" musical. It was the fact that he really wanted to blow off some steam with a long walk or a session of banging drums, but that he was stuck in this room for the next hour, if not more. There was really no telling how passionate Mrs. Snark would get about rehearsal and how long she would make them stay.

"Um, Nick?"

Nick turned and smiled at the sight of Samantha Connors behind him. He didn't know Samantha that well, but from the few encounters and conversations he had shared with her, he had a feeling she would be the one person in the world he could trust to be more nervous than him. He nodded and took a step closer to her.

"Hey, Sam. How's it going?"

"Good. Um... You?" Her brow furrowed with the question as though the answer really mattered.

"I'm well. What's up?"

"Well, I... See usually, I help with the music. Just, like, on the piano and finding songs and stuff. But you're here, and I see that, but I thought that maybe if you need help—"

"I am going to need help," Nick interrupted before she could continue rambling. "I am going to need help and someone to keep me sane. Are you up for that?"

"Um, I have science with Kevin, and so he's the one I know best. Are you a lot like him?"

"No."

"Oh." Sam finally smiled and nodded quickly, her long dark hair barely moving as her body remained stiff with nerves. "Then yes. Yes, I can help keep you sane."

"That's great because I could really—" He reached out quickly when Sam suddenly heaved forward, the books in her arms falling to the ground. "Kevin!"

"I'm so sorry, Sam," Kevin said as he too reached out to help after having crashed into her, sending her forward against Nick. "So sorry. I didn't see you there."

Macy giggled as she helped pick up Sam's books. "Sorry. Kevin gets a little clumsy when he's excited about something."

"Like you're one to talk," her boyfriend accused.

Macy's jaw dropped, but she had absolutely no way of defending herself when she knew he spoke the truth.

"Are you trying out for the play?" Macy finally asked.

"Oh no. Not me. You wouldn't see me anywhere near this stage. Well... other than right now. I just usually help with the music."

"And she still is. She's my co... Whatever my title is," Nick said as he handed Sam the last of her books.

"You're sure you don't mind, Nick?"

"Sanity, remember?"

She nodded then gave a small wave as she walked away.

"She's cute," Macy said.

"Don't start. Leave your bet outside theatre hours, please. I have enough to deal with here already without worrying about the two of you making things worse for me. Got it?"

Macy and Kevin both gave matching, less than convincing nods.

"This play is the reason I'm going to want to give up show business," Nick mumbled to himself as he moved away from the pair.

***

"Are you trying out for a part?"

Stella sighed as she looked at the script sample she held.

"I don't know. I like the acting, but we both know I can't sing."

"Well," Joe shrugged, "it's not like you're Macy."

"No, but it's not like I'm very good either, and so I have to keep that in mind before I get up there and make a fool of myself."

Joe sat up and tried to stretch out his neck to get a look at who was sitting in the front row of the theatre. He and Stella had chosen to sit in the back of the room, as though there was something they could perhaps do there between their auditions and that of everyone else in the room. Not that there was anything that popped into mind that he and Stella could do in the back row of...

"Who's casting?" he asked to distract himself from his own thoughts.

"Penny and Mrs. Snark, I think. So, you've got one vote yes and one vote no right off the bat."

"Who said I was going to try out for something?"

"Well, what else would you do?"

"There are lots of things I can do. I can... Well there's... I could be a stunt double. I like jumping off of things."

"I don't think they can pause the play the time it takes you to complain about how much you hurt yourself though."

Joe narrowed his eyes at her and looked down at his script. "I guess I might as well try out for something, though we all know it didn't go so well the last time I got a part."

Stella smiled. "It was all right in the end. You know, once you got over your stage fright."

"I don't think I actually got over it. I think I was just masterfully distracted from it."

"Whatever works," Stella said with a shrug.

"You want to run lines together?"

"Sure. This scene looks pretty simple."

They both looked down at their scripts, quickly scanning the text.

"Just a few lines. A little humour. Some banter. And then... they kiss."

"They kiss?" Stella asked, even as her eyes were scanning the words.

"That's what it says here."

Stella took a deep breath.

"You know, there is such a thing as being too prepared."

"Yeah, let's just watch."

***

"So Sam, huh?" Kevin asked as he watched the girl from over Macy's shoulder.

"She's an option."

"She's quieter than any of the girls Nick has dated in the past."

"Well, none of the girls Nick has dated in the past have lasted. Maybe it's time for a change."

Kevin shrugged and grabbed Macy's script from her.

"You trying out?"

"Have you heard me sing?"

He smiled and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "There are other things you can do. There are some roles that barely have any singing parts at all."

"I'm staying away from even those. I think I'm going to try to walk a mile in Stella's shoes and volunteer to help with costumes. She had to try sports once; I might as well try fashion for a while."

"Yeah? And do you think there's a role in here that's manly enough to impress your father if he decides to come by and see what his precious princess has created."

"Okay, my father would never call me a princess, and I told you to stop worrying about that. He likes you, Kevin. He just plays the role of the tough man."

"He plays it very well."

"If I did as good a job, I would try for the lead despite my singing, but I'll leave the acting to my father since he's doing such a good job at scaring you."

"Probably wise. Chances are, after all, that you wouldn't stand a chance against me for the lead role."

Kevin and Macy's eyes widened as they stared at each other. They both winced as they turned toward the sound of the new voice.

Kevin groaned and rolled his eyes. "You have got to be kidding me."


	4. Chapter 4: Tensions mount

Hello. Thanks once again for comments and reviews. And good job HermioneRose (and whoever else) who figured out who that voice was.

**Disclaimer**: Still not my characters. Shocking, I know.

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**Chapter 4: Tensions mount**

Stella and Joe sat side by side, staring at the blank spot on the school bulletin board in the cafeteria.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow the cast list would be up and they would know if they had landed the parts they had auditionned for, or if they hadn't. More importantly, though, tomorrow they would know if they had to kiss in front of the entire student body.

"What happens if we do?"

"If we do what?"

Stella sighed. "What happens if we do get the parts, and then we have to kiss in front of the entire school?"

"Then we'll kiss in front of the entire school," Joe said with a shrug.

"Right. But what if we don't."

"Then we won't kiss in front of the entire school."

Stella rolled her eyes at her friend. "I mean what if only one of us gets the role. What if one of us has to get up there and kiss someone else?"

"Then we'll do that."

His indifference at the situation was starting to gnaw at her anger.

"So you're going to be fine if I have to kiss someone else on stage and you won't fly down on a rope and knock them over?"

"Wait, you? I thought we were talking what if I got the role and you didn't. I didn't think about the other way around."

"That's great. Thanks."

"No, well, I was just... Look, there's Macy."

"Don't think you can distract me with— Whoa," Stella stopped when she saw her friend approach and drop down on a chair next to her. "Are you okay, Macy?"

"Do I look okay?"

"No. What's going on?"

"How can you even ask that?"

Stella looked over at Joe who shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you not see who was at the audition the other day and who apparently can sing just as well as she can do everything else?"

Joe made a move to leave the table but was stopped by Stella's hand on his forearm.

"Macy, don't worry about it. You won your bet. Kevin loves you and you're still striker on the soccer team. There's nothing she can do to you now."

"Kevin likes me, and the soccer team is done for the season. Now she's found an activity that's she's actually better than me at. And she just happens to show up? I don't think so. There's something up and I don't want to have to be there when it goes down."

"Macy, Brooke is just being obnoxious. Don't let her get to you. Ignore her. Where's Kevin to cheer you up?"

"Make-up test." Macy sighed. "What are you guys fighting about?"

"We're not fighting. What would make you think that we were fighting?"

"You're always fighting."

"We are debating," Stella said, enunciating the last word carefully, "what we'll do if we get the lead roles and have to kiss on stage."

"You'll freak out," Macy answered without hesitation.

"And what we'll do if only one of us is on that stage kissing someone else."

"You'll freak out and do something drastic to interrupt the play."

Stella sighed. "We were encouraging with your problem. Why can't you help with ours?"

"Because my problem is real, and your problem is you two refusing to admit that you like each other. Get over it. Admit it. Move on. I'm going to go sulk somewhere else."

She grabbed her bag and left them there; her friends happy to notice that there was the tiniest bit more pep in her step.

"She's nuts," Joe scoffed.

"Yeah, I mean, us, like each other. Whatever."

"I have to get to class."

"I have..." Stella blinked. Joe was gone before she could think of an answer. "Something. I have something."

***

Nick sighed as he twirled a pencil between his fingers. It was one thing to make him have to work with Penny; it was an entirely different thing to make him have to wait for her twenty minutes because she was late. Seriously, he did have other things to do in life.

He flipped through the pages in front of him as he waited. He might not have been a big fan of the epic love stories, and he might not have been a big fan of Penny, but he was still him which meant he was still a perfectionist, and had therefore put his all in the lyrics he had written. He had also put his all into preparing for the possible rejection said lyrics would face from the girl who had once gushed over the words he would write.

"Hey, Nick. Sorry I'm late. I had to talk to my math teacher. So, what have you got?"

"You want to hear them or just read them?"

"Just show me the words for now. We can figure out the music for them later."

Nick furrowed his brow but gave her the music sheets anyway. What did she mean "figure out the music later"? He'd already figured out the music and really didn't see where there would be a need to change it.

"This one needs to be sadder," she said, handing him back the top sheet. "This one should be louder. This one doesn't rhyme. Can you change the chorus on this? That second verse sounds funny."

He drowned out the sound of her voice and concentrated on grabbing the sheets as they floated toward him. She had a criticism for each and every one of them.

"It's a good start."

Nick pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

"I think it's actually even pretty close to what we're going to need."

Was that supposed to be encouraging? Nick wondered.

She'd just rejected ten originals songs that he'd written, completely ignoring his science homework, and then offered that it was a good start and pretty close to what was needed. This was why he rarely ventured into collaborations.

"I'll see what I can do," was all he finally answered, because in the end, he knew that it was Penny's play and that he had no choice but to be there.

"Great. If you get stuck, I can probably help. Matthew's been helping me with my song writing, so I should be good."

Nick nodded. He did not need to know that animal-activist guy's name was Matthew. He really didn't need to know anything about the new guy in Penny's life.

"I'll see what I can do," he said again.

"You're the best," she gushed, leaning forward to hug him where he sat as she continued to stand in front of him. "Okay, well I have to go help Mrs. Snark make the final casting decisions. I'll see you Thursday at rehearsals. Maybe seeing the actors will inspire you to write something better."

He bit his tongue this time to stop himself from telling her he'd see what he could do. She waved and left the room with a happy hop.

"It could have been worse."

Nick looked up in surprise at the sound of the voice. He hadn't realised anyone else was in the room.

"What are you doing here?"

"Keeping you sane. Remember?"

"Then shouldn't you have interrupted that conversation ten minutes ago? Or maybe before it even started?"

"You were doing well," she said, sitting next to him.

"I think I made myself bleed." Nick stuck out his tongue and tried to look at it to see if he'd bit hard enough to draw blood, mindless of how ridiculous he probably looked.

Sam laughed and swatted toward his mouth to get him to put his tongue away.

"It's her first play. You were probably as possessive of your songs when your first album came out."

"Do you know how old I was when my first album came out?"

"Were you also this modest?"

Nick's jaw dropped. Sass from Sam. Who knew she had it in her?

Fine, she was right, but he had yet to have been criticised for being too full of himself, usually pretty good at keeping a down-to-earth attitude.

"So you think I should just make the changes she wants?"

Sam shrugged. "I think you should take another look at what you've written. If you can see some merit in what she said, make the changes, if not, leave them as is and show her the same sheets you showed her today. If she gives the same comments, she means them, if she doesn't she was just looking for something to complain about."

Nick leaned in and lowered his voice. "You're a genius aren't you?"

"Two points shy," Sam whispered back.

He tried his best to pout as he sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Of course she would be smarter than him too. Sam giggled and got up.

"I'll let you work on those. I'll see you at play practice on Thursday."

He nodded his head in her direction as she left. He supposed that he could give the songs another look. Hopefully, he'd find just the right thing that would get Penny off his back, and his participation in this extra-curricular activity done.

***

Macy looked at her watch once again. It was ten minutes after seven which meant that Kevin was potentially ten minutes late.

They didn't officially have a date, but it had become routine that they get together every Tuesday night to watch the Discovery Channel together and learn about a new animal. One week they spent at his house and one week at hers. Macy had now tried to think back countless times to make sure that last week had been at the firehouse, but there was no denying that it had been seven days ago that she had watched Kevin and Frankie try to imitate hippopotamuses fighting over the same female, which meant it had definitely not been at her house. He was late, and after the day of doubts she'd had, this was the last thing she needed.

She jumped off the couch at the sound of the doorbell, not even bothering to check who was there.

"You are so la— dressed up. Why are you so dressed up?"

Kevin smiled as he stuck out his arm, a bouquet of daisies held in his fist. "For you."

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

He nodded and smiled as she took the flowers from him.

"Are you coming in?"

"I know it's Animal Kingdom night, but I was hoping we could make an exception this once."

"Why?"

"Because I lo... ike you. Because I like you, Macy. And no matter what you say, I know that seeing Brooke the other day threw you off and made you uncomfortable, and I don't want her to make you doubt yourself again."

"So, we can't watch Animal Kingdom?"

"We could. Or, I was thinking we could go out. Have some food. Take a walk. Hold hands. Find a quiet corner where your father would never find us..."

"Ah, so you thought you could use my vulnerability to get a make-out session."

Kevin's brow furrowed. "Did I mention the holding hands and the food?"

"Oh, I didn't say no," Macy said, already grabbing her jacket. "I was just clarifying. Let's go."

Kevin smiled as he let Macy walk in front of him, grabbing his hand and dragging him toward his car.


	5. Chapter 5: Time with the ladies

Thanks for the comments and reviews. Here's the latest.

**Disclaimer: **Not all my characters.

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****Chapter 5: Time with the ladies**

"No way."

"It's not like I'm happy about this either."

"Then just don't do it."

"I can't not do it. Kevin and I made a pact to see this play through to the end in case Nick needed us. I can't quit now just because of one little thing."

"How is this one little thing?"

"It's not that bad, Stella."

Stella huffed and fisted her hands at her sides, ready if the next thing that came out of Joe's mouth justified her getting to punch him.

"The girl did everything she could to make Macy's life miserable and was ready to put me next in line. Now, you have to kiss her in front of everyone? You think that's not that bad? Uh. Why did you have to get lead in the first place, anyway?"

Joe shrugged. "Maybe I'll catch a bad cold and my understudy will have to kiss her instead of me."

"You better hope so."

"Look, I know you hate Brooke, and it's not like I'm that fond of her either. This is just one kiss in one play. How much damage can she possibly do when I already know what kind of girl she is?"

Stella narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"You don't know girls like that. They have a way of... They just have a way."

"And you'll be around to make sure that she doesn't have her way with me," Joe said as he wrapped his arm around Stella's shoulders and led her toward the seats that were just that much further away from Brooke who he had a feeling was listening to every word of their conversation. "Besides, I'm going to need someone to rehearse with."

"And?"

"And you're going to need someone to rehearse with too. You've got lines to learn."

"I'm sister number three. I don't think it'll really matter whether or not I remember to say 'Me too'."

"I think it will."

Stella rolled her eyes as Joe tried to make himself look adorable, lower lip sticking out and head rocking back to flip his hair out of his eyes.

"I just think you should be careful."

"I will. And I just think you should stay near me pretty much all the time to make sure that I don't miss any of her tricks."

"If I must," Stella shrugged.

"You must."

They smiled at each other, followed by both of their heads quickly turning in the other direction. Stella tried to decide whether she was more upset that Joe would be kissing Brooke, or that he wouldn't be kissing her in front of the entire student body—an action that would certainly have helped her further figure out where exactly they were standing with each other.

"Hi."

The pair jumped back when Penny's head suddenly appeared between them from the row behind their seats.

"I know you two are being adorable, but if maybe Joe could go up there and we could start rehearsals, that would be great too."

"Sure, Penny," Joe answered with a smile, trying to separate the part of him that knew Penny was a nice enough girl from the part of himself that couldn't forget she had broken his little brother's heart.

Penny smiled as she took a seat next to Stella.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the part, Stella. It's just... Brooke has the most gorgeous voice and..."

"I don't," Stella finished for her. "Don't worry. I am well aware that I'm no multi-platinum singer. I wasn't expecting the lead and I really don't mind not getting it."

"Oh, thank God. The last thing I need is another reason to be on you and your friends' hit list after the way Nick and I ended."

"Right..." Stella answered slowly, watching as she saw Nick approach the pair from the corner of her eye.

He took a deep breath as he walked toward them, and finally held out some papers toward Penny.

"I thought about what you said, and I made some changes," he told her.

"Great. Thanks, Nick. You can leave them on that chair."

Nick looked at the chair she pointed to. He looked at Stella. He looked at Penny.

"You aren't going to look at them now?"

"We're starting rehearsals, now."

"How can you start rehearsals when you don't have songs? It's a musical."

"We're looking at spacing and emotions today. We don't need the music for that."

"But I stayed up all night so that these songs would be finished for today."

Penny shrugged. "I'm sorry, Nick, but I didn't ask you to stay up all night."

"But you said—"

"If you don't need them today, Nick can take another look at them," Sam said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere once again. "Maybe what he liked at two in the morning isn't what he'll like after having gotten a few hours of sleep and some coffee in his system."

Stella raised an eyebrow as she watched Sam physically make her way between Nick and Penny. Stella couldn't remember a time when she had ever heard anyone speak for Nick.

"Whatever." Penny shrugged.

Nick huffed and turned around, leaving the room with his feet banging against the floor and the sound echoing through the room.

"I'll just take these," Sam said, grabbing the music sheets Nick had left behind.

Penny shook her head as she watched the pair leave. She took a deep breath with eyes closed, and opened them once again, wide smile on her face.

"Okay. Places everyone."

***

"She didn't even look at them," Nick told Sam without glancing over at her. He had been expecting her to follow him out of the auditorium, but guessed from the time it took her to get to him that maybe even she knew an angry Nick Lucas wasn't someone to try and have a conversation with.

"Neither are we."

"What?"

Sam stuffed Nick's work into her bag.

"You have been staring at these songs for way too long. I'm not letting you look at them for the next twenty-four hours. In fact, I'm not even letting you think about them for the next twenty-four hours."

"You can't make me not think about something."

Sam's smile widened into one of confidence that Nick had never seen. "You want to bet?"

***

"How long do you think that's going to last?" Kevin asked, nodding his head toward Stella who was carefully watching Joe walk around the stage.

"As long as it takes for one of them to explode."

"Oh, joy."

"Are you sad you're not the lead?" Macy asked as she leaned her head on Kevin's shoulder.

"The lead has to kiss Brooke. I am definitely not sad I didn't get the part."

"That's mean," Macy said, but couldn't hold back a giggle from her lips.

"Are you sad you're not in the play?"

"Not even kind of. Even if I'm not Penny's biggest fan, I have to say that she did a pretty good job with the casting."

"Yep. Who's that girl though?" Kevin asked as he pointed to a name on the cast list Macy held.

"New girl. She's..." Macy looked around the room until she finally spotted Amanda by the piano, "right there."

"She kind of looks a bit like Hilary Duff."

Macy shrugged. They watched as the girl nodded at something Penny said, then opened her mouth to sing.

"Wow, she sounds like Kelly Clarkson."

Macy and Kevin suddenly turned to one another.

"Nick!"

***

"This is disgusting."

"I know. It's great!"

Sam's jaw dropped as she reached over to grab Nick's wrist and pull his hands away from his face where the hot dog he was holding shielded him from her.

"Is that a smile? Is Nick Lucas smiling? My, oh my."

"Batting cages and junk food," he said, waving his arms around as though she might not realise where they were. "How could I not smile?"

Sam shook her head and took another bite of her own hot dog rather than offer any comment.

"Do you think we're going to get in trouble?" Nick asked her after a moment of silence.

"For eating hot dogs?"

"For skipping rehearsals."

"You aren't supposed to be thinking about that, remember?"

He rolled his eyes and took a swig of his soda. "I'm just saying, I'm supposed to be involved in this school activity, and now I'm just ditching it."

"I don't know what you're talking about. As far as I remember, we left rehearsals so you could go work on the songs."

"That's what you told Penny."

"And you worked hard on those songs all afternoon. I was there."

Nick smiled a wider grin and shook his head. "Thanks, Sam. You really are saving my sanity."

"Well, don't think I'm just doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I do have my ulterior motives, you know."

"Ah, so the truth comes out. What exactly is it you want for being this nice to me?"

"Free stuff, definitely," Sam said, barely able to hold back her smile. "Don't think it's just a coincidence that you bought me this hot dog. That was my plan all along. Take you out so that I could get free food."

"I see how it is."

"And this is just the start. I might rope you into buying me coffee or juice or—" Sam stopped at the ringing of her cell phone. "You get the idea. Just give me a sec."

Nick nodded as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Babe. What's up?"

She walked away from him, one finger in her ear as she tried to drown out the sound of the park. She somehow managed to balance her hot dog and cell phone in the other hand. Nick watched her, using all his will power to stop himself from reaching into her bag and grabbing his lyric sheets while she wasn't looking. He was about to lose his battle against temptation when she came bouncing back to him.

"Everything okay?" he asked her.

"Yep. And good job restraining from grabbing those music sheets."

"What? I wasn't—" Nick sighed at the sure grin on Sam's lips. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes. Now, eat up. We have time for one more go at the batting cages, then I have to be off."

"Sounds good to me."

***

"Kevin. You're here again."

"I was just dropping off your daughter, sir."

"From rehearsals. That's right. You got her to join that play thing, didn't you?"

Kevin took a deep breath, wishing he'd been just that much quicker leaving Macy. Then again, the house had been empty when he was dropping her off, and he really didn't want to have done anything that would have shortened the stretched out make-out good-bye session the empty house had given them the chance to have. Perhaps, he should simply have wished that he'd been quicker to get to his car, rather than meet Mr. Misa halfway down the driveway.

"Macy doesn't really let anyone make her do anything, sir. She decided to join the play."

"Well, I suppose that's believable." The man shrugged his shoulders and moved around Kevin.

"You don't really like me, do you, sir?"

"I wouldn't say that." Mr. Misa turned to face Kevin and sighed. "I wouldn't say that at all. It's not that I don't like you, Kevin. It's that I love my daughter."

"I lo— I... Macy's important to me too, Mr. Misa."

"I know that, Kevin. But try to see things from my perspective. You're dating her now, but this summer you leave for all of vacation to travel the country or maybe the world. Then next year, you're gone to school God only knows where."

"Plenty of people have long distance relationships."

"They do. But my daughter is young. I don't want her sitting at home every night because her boyfriend is away and she can't go out and have fun with the people who are still around."

"I would never ask Macy to do that."

"You would never have to. You were the centre of her world before she ever met you, and she would cancel plans or refuse to go out if you and your brothers were on television that night. You won't have to ask her to stop her life for you, she'll do it all her own."

"She's stronger than you think she is."

"No. She's as strong, and as strong-willed as I think she is, and that's what I don't like. Nothing and no one will be able to change her mind when she'll decide to pine over you from afar. It has nothing to do with you, son. I just don't like the relationship. I never will."

Mr. Misa shook his head and walked into the house. Kevin's stomach swirled as he watched the man leave. Put like that, he wasn't too fond of the relationship either.


	6. Chapter 6: Girl troubles

Hello. Here's the latest chapter. Thanks for all the reviews.

**Disclaimer: **Still not all my characters.

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**Chapter 6: Girl troubles**

Sam had refused to give Nick his lyrics back until the end of school on Friday.

"You're a mean co-whatever-I-am," he told her when the sheets popped up in front of his face and he turned to find her standing behind him.

"Hey, I could have kept them all weekend you know. I actually recommend that you don't look at them until tomorrow at least."

"Did you look at them?"

Sam shrugged. "I might have peeked."

"And?"

"And... they're really good. There are some parts that could use some tweaking, but otherwise, I don't think Penny had any reason to complain."

"She didn't complain about these versions, remember? She didn't even look at these versions."

"Well, she'll have no reason to complain when she does."

Nick smiled and grabbed a binder from his locker so he could keep the pages protected. "You want to go through them and tell me what you thought?"

"Sure."

"Like now?"

"Oh, I can't now. I'm supposed to be going to see _Falling for Magnolias_."

"Chick flick," Nick said through a cough.

"No one's inviting you," Sam returned with her own fake cough.

"Are you going with 'babe'?" Nick asked, drawling out the last word.

"How do you know..."

"I heard you say hi when you answered your phone the other day."

"Oh, well, if you must know, yes I am going with Babe."

"Well, will babe mind if I steal you for an hour or two tomorrow so we can go over the songs?"

"I don't see why that would be a problem."

"Cool, let me get you my address." Nick reached into his locker for something to write on.

"Don't worry. Every girl between ten and thirty years old knows where you live. I'll show up around one?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow, Nick. And actually..." Sam reached out and grabbed his binder from him. "Since I'll see you tomorrow, I can make sure you don't look at these tonight."

She stuck her tongue out at him and offered him a wave before leaving him by himself in the hallway.

"Wasn't she shy like a week ago?" Nick asked the empty hallway as he watched her walk away.

***

Joe leaned back against the lockers, gently banging his head against the steel. He really should have known better than to volunteer to wait for Stella while she bargained for a make-up test with her math teacher. There was a good chance that she wouldn't leave that classroom until she got exactly what she wanted, and with Mr. Crantree as her math teacher, there was a good chance that would take a few years.

"Waiting for me?"

Joe could literally feel his skin crawl at the sound of the voice. Even more worrying than Brooke's approach, however, was her proximity to Stella. No matter what happened, he was pretty sure there would be hell to pay if his best friend exited that classroom to find him spending more time than needed with the little she-devil who had almost managed to wedge a spike in Kevin and Macy's relationship.

"Waiting for Stella," he finally answered.

"How much of your life have you spent waiting for Stella?" Brooke lifted her hand when Joe opened his mouth to speak. "No, even more important: how much of your life are you going to spend waiting for Stella?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you two are too old for these games, Joe. Either you're dating, or you're not. You two should really make up your minds, because whatever is going on between you is really confusion to everyone else around who's interested."

"Interested in what?"

"Interested in you, silly," Brooke said, taking a step forward, her finger reaching out to follow the line of buttons down Joe's shirt. "It's really frustrating."

"Well, let me save you some trouble. I'm not interested. Everything Stella related aside, I'm not interested."

Brooke pouted and leaned an inch closer. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, who am I to contradict you? But if you really feel that way, then maybe I can help you with your other problem."

"I don't have another problem. I don't have any problem."

"You have a Stella problem, and I'm just the girl to help."

Before Joe could even start to wonder what that meant, Brooke had taken another step forward and her lips were suddenly against his. His back already against the locker, Joe had to take a moment to figure out how to get the girl off him while resisting the urge to just shove her away roughly. He didn't have time to think of an exit strategy before the gasp next to them stopped Brooke's movements.

"See, that helped," Brook said, smiling at Stella.

"Stella, I—"

"Let me know if you change your mind about the first thing." Brooke patted his arm and left the pair by themselves.

"Stella, she grabbed me. I didn't kiss her back, I swear."

"Whatever," Stella said with a shrug of her shoulders, her eyes blank as she refused to meet Joe's.

"I swear, Stella, I did not want to kiss her."

"It doesn't matter, Joe. We're friends, right? I don't like Brooke, but I can't tell you who to kiss or not to kiss. We're just friends. What you do with your lips is entirely up to you."

"But Stella I—"

"Mr. Crantree said he'd give me my make-up test now. I'm here for another hour so you might as well go home."

"How will you get home?"

"I'll manage."

She was back in the classroom with Mr. Crantree before Joe could offer any other protest.

***

Nick and Joe arrived home at the same time, walking through the door together. They both stopped in their footsteps when they were met with the sight of Kevin, hair in a mess and bowl of melted ice cream in front of him.

"Hey, man," Joe called as he grabbed an apple from the kitchen counter. "What's up?"

"Huh?"

"You look... confused. And more so than usual."

"Just thinking," Kevin shrugged.

"About what?" Nick asked as he made his way to the kitchen to find his own snack.

"Macy."

"That usually involves more smiling on your part."

Kevin sighed. "I had a chat with her father yesterday."

"Does he still hate you?"

"Apparently he doesn't hate me. He just hates the relationship I have with his daughter."

"Hey, you're halfway to solving your problem then, I guess," Joe said with a shrug.

"No, now I have a new problem."

"What's that?" Nick asked, sitting next to his eldest brother.

"Now I'm not sure if I like my relationship with Macy."

"What does that mean?" Joe asked sitting on his other side.

"I don't know. I guess I just have to figure some stuff out."

There was a moment of silence between the three before Joe reached out and patted his brother on the back.

"If it makes you feel better, Stella hates me at the moment and reiterated that we were just friends about twelve times in the same sentence."

"Ouch."

"What did you do?" Nick asked.

"I didn't do anything. Brooke on the other hand... Well, let's just say that Brooke had something to do with it."

"Got it."

"So what's your problem, Nick?"

Nick shook his head. "I don't have a problem."

"How's working with Penny going?"

"Haven't really talked to her that much. Sam's kind of our go between."

"How are the songs coming?"

"Sam has kidnapped them until tomorrow and I'm not supposed to think about them."

Kevin stirred his bowl of melted ice cream. "And when are you going to get them done?"

"Sam's coming over tomorrow so we can look at them."

Joe sighed. "Not again, Nick."

"What?"

"You just said Sam's name in three sentences in a row. You are totally falling for her."

"What?"

"Dude, we are not in a position to fix your heart right now. We have our own problems."

"I'm not falling for, Sam."

"Besides," Kevin continued as though Nick had never spoken, "neither Macy or I are gunning for Sam anymore. You are totally going to ruin our bet if you fall for her now."

"I'm not falling for Sam. She's just a friend. Besides, she has a boyfriend."

"She does?" both brothers asked in harmony.

"That's right."

"How do you know that?"

"I heard her talking to him on the phone. She calls him babe and they're gone to some chick flick tonight which is why she can't be here to look over the songs tonight and we have to do it tomorrow."

Joe and Kevin exchanged a worried look.

"And you're okay with that?"

"You guys, I'm fine. She has a boyfriend. That's fine. I mean, if I had known Penny had a boyfriend when I met her, I would never have fallen for her and none of that drama would ever have happened. Fine, I sometimes get carried away, but I know better than to fall for a girl who's in love with someone else."

"So my bet with Macy is still on."

"It was never on!" Nick yelled, his hands thrown up in the air. "I told you to leave me out of this."

"Hey," Joe suddenly said, his mouth full of apple, "can Stella and I get in on this bet? I totally have the perfect girl for Nick."

"Trust me, you don't want in on the prize for this one."

"What is it?" Joe asked.

Kevin blushed. "It's a... well, uh... Let's just say it's a Macy and me thing."

Nick and Joe both looked at each other in confusion.

"Gross, dude," Joe finally said, grabbing his apple and leaving the room.

***

"Have you been there all morning?" Nick asked after he'd slid down the fire pole and found Kevin in the living room, chin in his hand. It wouldn't have been that odd a Saturday sight, except for the fact that the television wasn't turned on to Kevin's favourite weekend cartoons.

"Huh? Is it morning?"

"No, it's the afternoon. I asked if you had been there all morning."

"I guess so."

"Dude, what is wrong with you?"

Kevin sighed. "I just—"

The doorbell rang, interrupting him.

"You just what?" Nick asked as he moved to answer the door.

"I'm just thinking."

"But you're all right?" Nick paused, looking back at his brother.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You'd tell me if you weren't, right?"

"Of course. Don't worry about it, Nick. Answer the door. It's probably Sam, right?"

Nick frowned but answered the door.

"Hey, Sam."

"Hi. Nice shirt."

Nick looked down and blushed when he realised he was wearing a T-shirt with Joe's face on it.

"My mother's out of town to visit my aunt. I really have to do laundry."

Sam raised her eyebrow and smiled. "No doubt. Though you do wear Joe very well." She blushed when she realised what she'd just said.

"We should get to work." He placed his hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her toward the stairs that would lead to the studio and any instrument they might need. They both waved to Kevin as they left him alone in the living room.

"Did you bring the songs?"

"Yeah, they're right here."

"Okay, where do you want to start?"

Sam shifted from one foot to the other and let one hand play with the nails on the other.

"You know, I was thinking, I really shouldn't be giving you advice. What do I know? I'm not the one with albums and sold out tours. You really already know what you're doing."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand to pull her in a chair by the soundboard. He'd somehow realised that there were two sides to Sam. There was the one side that was fun and outgoing and would steal his lyrics sheets and bring him to a batting cage, and there was the other side of Sam that was shy and stammering, and would refuse to make eye contact with him.

"I promise I have no idea what I'm doing. You are the one doing me a huge favour by even agreeing to look at these things. I cannot have Penny take another look at these and toss them aside. I swear to God that if she does I will quit and won't care if no colleges accept me when I graduate."

"Okay, it's not that bad."

"The lyrics or my situation? Because if you're talking about the lyrics, then you're saying they are bad. Just not 'that bad'."

"The situation. Or how you're handling it really. You're doing really good, Nick, and your lyrics are going to rock."

"That they are, after you help me with them. Ready?"

Sam took a deep breath and gave a quick nod of the head.

"Ready."

He smiled as he saw her practically shake despite her attempt at confidence. The papers in her hand fell to the ground, and Nick waved her off to pick up the papers himself before she could make more of a mess. He felt his brow furrow as he picked up a pink notebook which had fallen open.

"What are—"

"Nothing," Sam answered quickly, taking the book from him.

"Those were lyrics."

"I promise they're not your lyrics."

"I didn't think they were. But that means they're your lyrics."

Sam shrugged. "I was just playing."

"Can I see?"

"They're not done," she told him, shaking her head.

"I don't mind."

"I do."

"You saw mine."

"And you need to stop distracting me from that." She stuffed her notebook in the bag she had brought and waved Nick's music sheets in front of his face. "Let's get to it."


	7. Chapter 7: One step forward

********

Hey, here's the next chapter with a little extra drama. Thanks, as always, for all comments and reviews. Sorry if the formatting is weird; my computer is apparently not happy with me at the moment.

********

**Disclaimer: **Not all my characters

* * *

**Chapter 7: One step forward, two steps back**

"Are you still working on those?"

Nick looked up from the music sheets scattered across the coffee table. "Just putting on the finishing touches. I had a few more ideas while I was sleeping last night."

"Nick, if you work even when you're sleeping, you have a problem. You're going to have gray hairs before you're twenty if you keep this up."

"If it makes me a musical genius, I'll take the gray hairs."

"I thought you were three points shy of a genius," Kevin muttered as he moved toward the kitchen to find himself some breakfast.

Nick rolled his eyes and started to put away the sheets. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not going to be working on them for the rest of the day."

"Sure you aren't."

"Seriously. I'm hanging out with Sam today."

Kevin raised an eyebrow and let the right corner of his mouth rise knowingly.

"Don't give me that look. She just wants to make sure I don't drive myself crazy working on this stuff all day. We're going to go golfing so I'm distracted from it."

"She plays golf?"

"No. I'm going to teach her."

"That will definitely distract you." Kevin sighed as he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard. "And her boyfriend doesn't mind?"

"I asked if she wouldn't rather spend the day with her babe, and she said babe had other plans. I just hope it's fun, confident Sam who shows up and not shy, awkward Sam."

"It won't be."

"Why do you say that?"

"Fun, confident Sam only comes out when you're a mess. Shy, awkward Sam is around whenever you're confident and calm."

"How do you know that?"

Kevin shrugged. "I notice things."

"Sometimes I wonder about you. What are you going to do on this fine Sunday?"

"I'm meeting up with Macy."

"Good." Nick patted Kevin on the back. "You seemed a little off yesterday. Maybe a day with Macy will do you some good."

"Right." Kevin nodded as Nick stole his bowl of cereal and left the room. "Or maybe, it might just make everything worse."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Nick asked when he walked up the stairs and found Joe with half his body beneath his bed, legs sticking out. Every now and then, some forgotten object would be tossed out and skid halfway across their bedroom.

"I'm looking for something," Joe answered, keeping his head hidden.

"What are you looking for?"

"I don't know."

"But you know it's under your bed."

"I'm hoping."

Nick paused between bites of cereal. Really, he should be getting ready for his day of golfing, but something was up with Kevin which his eldest brother wasn't letting him help with, and now something was up with Joe. If Nick could solve one of two problems, maybe he'd feel good enough about the day's progress.

"If you don't know what it is, and you don't know where it is, then why are you looking for it?"

"Stella's mad at me."

"Yep."

"I have to make Stella not mad at me."

"Yep."

"I'm looking for something that will make Stella not mad at me," Joe said, finally sticking his head out from under the bed.

"I would suggest flowers."

"That's what a boyfriend would do. You know me and Stella. We aren't dating. We're just—"

"Really good friend," Nick finished. "Yeah, I've heard this story. Listen, Joe, why is Stella mad at you?"

"Stella's mad because she saw Brooke kissing me."

"And who usually gets mad when they see a guy kissing another girl?"

"A girlfriend."

"Right. Just get her flowers."

"I just don't think flowers will be enough, though, Nick. We've been weird lately and I don't know how to fix it."

"Then be a boyfriend, Joe. Flowers and big gesture. Just... don't get into too much trouble, okay? I'm on the golf course today, and I don't have time to save you should anything happen."

Joe waved Nick away and stuck his head back under the bed. His search was quickly halted when he came face to face with a slice of pizza he was pretty sure had been there longer than Frankie had been alive.

"So what would a boyfriend do?" he asked himself, coming out for some fresh air.

* * *

"Where did it go?" Sam asked, hand against her forehead as she shielded her eyes from the sun. Nick tried not to laugh as she squinted to better see in the distance. "I don't see it, Nick. Where did it go?"

"Oh, not too far."

She looked over at him and saw him point down to the ground. Her ball was just a few inches from her feet.

"I totally missed?"

"I wouldn't say that. The wind from your club moved it, like, a quarter of an inch at least."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes."

Sam laughed despite her best efforts.

"Show me again," she sighed.

Nick shook his head and lined up for another shot.

Kevin had been right. As soon as Nick had looked like he knew what he was doing, Sam had returned to her shy, uncertain self. And so, he hadn't dared try anything as daring as getting behind her, grabbing her hands and guiding her through a shot. Unfortunately, this made showing her how to play all that much harder.

He was just about to show her how to hit the ball one more time when the ringing of her cell phone threw him off and his shot sliced dramatically to the left. Nick cringed as he watched the ball weave through a patch of tress, hoping there was nothing for it to hit on the other side.

"I'm so sorry. I thought I'd turned it off. That's bad, right?"

Nick narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'll just get it real quick." Sam blushed as she opened her phone and brought it to her ear. "Hey, Babe. What's up?"

Nick cringed.

No, he didn't.

He winced.

Oh God, this wasn't good.

He'd cringed when he heard her answer "Hey, babe". There was really only one reason for him to do that, and as he kept his eyes on her retreating form, trying not to focus on the plaid shorts that covered her lower half as she walked a little further from him, he knew he was in trouble.

Never mind what he'd said to Kevin and Joe; his brothers were right. He was falling for her.

But it wasn't his fault. She listened to him. And she did things he liked. Not only that, but she liked the things he liked. Maybe golf wasn't her deal, but she'd rocked the batting cages and she'd obviously enjoyed their jam session when they were going over the songs.

Plus she was pretty, and made him laugh and...

Had a boyfriend, Nick reminded himself. She had a boyfriend and he already knew that nothing good could come of letting himself fall for a girl who already had a boyfriend. Except that it was probably too late for him again. Now that he realised he was falling for her, there was no denying that Nick had raced ahead and was already pretty much head over heels for the girl.

No wonder her name popped up every second word of the conversations he'd been having with his brothers.

"Are you okay?"

He snapped out of his thoughts when he realised how close Sam was to him and saw the worried look that was in her eyes.

"Nick? What's wrong?"

"Just thinking," he finally told her, shaking his head.

"You aren't supposed to be thinking, remember? That's why we came out here. So that you would be distracted and wouldn't think about the play and the songs and Penny."

"Right." Well, at least her plan had worked. He definitely hadn't been thinking about the play and the songs or Penny.

"Will you show me again?"

"What?"

"Your drive. Will you show me again? I am convinced that I can learn and beat you at this sport."

And there she was again, funny and confident just when his nerves were starting to show through. Funny and confident, making herself all that more attractive to him when that was the last thing Nick needed.

"My drive. Right. Watch."

* * *

Stella sighed when she opened the door and found her best friend on the other side. She knew she should have just pretended she wasn't home and kept eating her ice cream.

"Joe, I really don't want to—"

"I brought you these," Joe stuck out his arm, showing her the flowers he'd been hiding behind her back.

"That's nice, but—"

"And these."

Stella's brow furrowed as she reached out and grabbed the tickets from him.

"_Falling for Magnolias_? Joe, that's a complete chick flick."

"I know. And you need to know that I didn't kiss Brooke. She kissed me. But even if that is what happened and I really don't think it was my fault, you were still really upset and I want to make it up to you. So, please let me make it up to you."

"You want to make it up to me by going to _Falling for Magnolias_?"

"Sam says it's really good."

"And that's enough for you to go?"

"You're mad at me and I am willing to do whatever it takes for you not to be. That's enough for me to go."

Stella sighed and watched as Joe gave her his awkward, nervous grin. She was going to forgive him eventually anyway, she knew. She might as well get something out of it as well.

"All right. I'll go."

"Great."

"But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you just yet."

"Of course not."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Stella finally said.

"Tomorrow," Joe agreed. "It's a date."

Stella closed the door as he turned to head toward his car.

Wait, what had he just said?

* * *

"Kevin are you okay?" Macy asked with a sigh. It wasn't like Kevin to be so quiet, especially when they were hanging out at the park. Yet there had barely been any talk from him that day, and while Macy had tried to pretend that she was fine with that, she couldn't help but worry.

"What? Oh, yeah."

"You're a horrible liar."

"I know," he sighed.

"So why don't you just tell me what's bothering you?"

Kevin shrugged.

"Is it about Nick and Penny? I think he's doing okay working with her, Kevin. I mean, really, Sam has been a lifesaver on that front. Don't you think?"

He nodded.

"So not Penny and Nick."

He shook his head.

"Is it Joe and Stella? Because you know they always work these things out in their own way."

He shook his head again.

"Is it the bet? We don't have to go through with it if you don't want to Kevin. We were just having fun. I mean, I do think it would be nice if we could find someone for Nick, but let's face it, he'd probably prefer if we just left him alone."

"It's not the bet," Kevin whispered.

"Then what is it? Please tell me."

He let out a loud breath and reached out to take one of Macy's hands in his.

"It's just... I've been thinking lately and... Macy?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we should break up."


	8. Chapter 8: Two ends for one beginning

Here's the latest! Thanks for all the reviews and comments (despite the frustration from the last chapter).

**Disclaimer: **Not all my characters.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Two ends for one beginning**

"Kevin?" Nick asked the next morning as he watched his brother sit quietly at the breakfast table. Of all the Lucas family members, Kevin was the last one anyone expected to be quiet in the morning. "Are you okay?"

"I broke up with Macy."

"What?"

"I broke up with Macy," Kevin repeated in the same flat voice.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt her."

"That makes no sense."

"I know. I just... she deserves better than some guy who's going to be gone all summer, don't you think?"

"I think she deserves to make up her own mind. Did you ask her if she minded you being gone all summer?"

"Of course not. It's Macy. And she's a fan, and it hurt at first, but then it didn't because she wasn't hitting us with things anymore, and then her father explained about her missing things because of the television and how I was being selfish because I'd have to leave and come back and leave again, and so I broke up with Macy."

Nick blinked.

"I have no idea what all that meant."

"It means that I had to do it."

"And now you're miserable and I have a feeling Macy isn't any happier."

Kevin shrugged. "She'll get over it."

"That's a shame. I thought I might actually be able to use your bet now."

"My bet with Macy?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah."

"You wanted us to try to find the love of your life?"

Nick sighed.

"You fell for Sam."

"I didn't mean to," Nick whined as he took a seat next to Kevin.

"We so called this."

"Yeah, fine. You and Joe are geniuses. I thought you and Macy would at least serve as a distraction to get my mind on something other than Sam until we're done this musical and I don't have to see her every day."

"Sorry, bro. But you know Macy. She's competitive enough that she might go forward with the bet even if we aren't still together."

"If she can stop crying long enough."

Kevin cringed at Nick's words.

"Hey, I'm sorry man." Nick patted his brother's back. "You really seem to think this is for the best even if it is obviously killing you inside. Maybe... maybe you guys just need a little time. Maybe it's just a speed bump."

Kevin shook his head.

"No. We're done."

"Are you guys still going to be friends?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't want to lose Macy from my life, but right now just the thought of her hurts. I don't know if I can be around her, much less go back to being her friend."

"Well, I can see we have pleasant days ahead."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Nick took a deep breath and watched her from afar for a moment. He'd have to approach her eventually. He'd have to go up to her at some point and offer her the latest versions of his songs. Versions Sam had promised him Penny would be a fool not to adore.

Wait, he wasn't thinking about Sam anymore.

Nick closed his eyes for a moment, took another deep breath and stepped forward.

"Hey, Penny."

"Hi, Nick," she said, her eyes focussed ahead on the three actors moving around the stage.

"I worked on the songs like you suggested."

"That's great. I'm sure they'll be much better now. You can just leave them with me."

"You still aren't going to look at them?"

Penny shrugged and jotted something down in the notebook on her lap. "Of course I'll look at them. Just not now."

"You'll really look at them or you'll pick them up and offer criticism so that I can rework them into something else you can ignore."

Penny looked up at Nick. "Of course I'll look at them. And, I mean, I might have something to say, but I'm sure they'll be good songs. I didn't ask for your help on this project for nothing."

"You didn't ask for my help."

"Yes, I did. Mrs. Snark asked if there was anyone in particular I wanted to work with, and I said you. I never thought that she'd actually be able to convince you, though."

"It's your fault I have to work on this play?"

"What do you mean, my fault? You joined because you wanted to, no?"

"No. I joined because I was told I had to if I wanted a chance of getting into a good college."

Penny giggled before catching herself and trying to put on a serious face. "And you believed that? Nick, you're practically a genius. Why would you have to do a play to get into college?"

"Extracurricular."

"I think colleges would understand if a rock star showed up with his high school transcript and said he was too busy for any extracurricular activities."

Nick sighed and dropped the papers he was holding on the seat next to Penny.

"Why did you ask for me?"

"Because I know you're good." Penny shrugged. "Besides, if I hadn't, I would have had to work with Sam on the music. Can you imagine? I mean, have you seen her? She seems to be great as your assistant, but she isn't a songwriter."

"What?"

"She's way too shy to be in this business. She tried playing this one song she wrote, and I could barely hear her really. If she doesn't have confidence in her material, how am I supposed to believe in it?"

"What?"

"But I knew that you could do a good job, so I asked for you."

"Sam is amazing," Nick answered, not able to move past that point.

"Well, I mean, she seems to have helped you, but, you're Nick. You probably didn't need that much help to start with."

"Sam could have done as good a job as me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nick. Besides, neither of us knows if that's true."

Nick rolled his tongue around his mouth to keep from saying something he would regret. It didn't work.

"You know what? There's only one way to find out."

"What?"

"I quit." He grabbed his papers from the chair and left the auditorium before Penny could say anything in response.

Macy, Stella and Sam watched as Nick stormed out of the room. None of the girls were really that surprised at the temper tantrum, having expected Nick to blow at Penny at some point during the play. All three, however, were surprised at how loud the encounter had been.

"He's going to regret that tomorrow," Stella sighed.

"Nick does always hate to have his life dragged out in public."

"But she got him really angry," Sam offered. "She's been so preoccupied with the play, that she's barely noticed that Nick has been bending over backwards not to kill her and to give her what she wants."

Stella and Macy exchanged a knowing glance.

"Why don't you go after him," Stella suggested.

"Yeah, I mean, he's probably sick of me and Stella giving him advice by now. He might actually listen to you."

"You think so?" Sam asked, biting her lower lip.

"Oh, we know so."

The girl shrugged and left, dropping the pants that she'd been trying to hem. Stella picked up the garment and shook her head.

"So what's up with you?"

"Huh?"

"You've been down all day and I haven't seen you smile once. What's up?"

"Oh. Kevin broke up with me."

"Oh." Stella nodded as she threaded a needle. "Wait, what?"

"Kevin broke up with me."

"What do you mean he broke up with you?"

"I mean he told me we shouldn't date anymore."

"Did he tell you why?"

Macy shrugged as she compared the green of one shirt with the green of a pair of leotards. "He said that he was going to be going on tour and then going to school and that he didn't think it was fair to either of us to keep dating when we'd never get to see each other, and that it would just be easier to break up now than in a few months."

"Oh, Macy are you—"

"Not thinking about it. I'm not thinking about it." Macy blinked and looked up. Stella cringed at the tears she saw waiting in her friend's eyes. "I can't think about it, because if I do, I'm going to lose it."

"We can leave if—"

"I don't want to go home to cry. I want to stay here and be busy. I'll be miserable, but I'll be busy, and that will distract me from the fact that I'm miserable. So can we please just keep being busy?"

"Of course." Stella nodded and took a deep breath. Kevin hadn't broken up with her, but she still felt like she was going to cry. She couldn't imagine what Macy felt like.

"Distract me, Stella. Please."

"What?"

"Something. Anything. Just get my mind on something else."

Stella paused for a moment and tried to think of anything interesting that had happened that day. She could really only remember one thing that had been on her mind from waking until that very moment.

"Well, I'm going on a date with Joe."

"What?"

"Yeah. We're going out tonight."

"Stella! That's great news," Macy said, offering her friend the closest thing to a smile she'd been able to find that day.

"It is. Right?"

"Of course. So, what are you going to wear?"

Stella took a deep breath. "I have a few options."

"I thought you would."

Macy let the sound of Stella's voice describing outfit after outfit distract her from everything else around her, and everything that was swirling inside her.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Joe felt bad for not feeling bad. After all, he knew that both his brothers were having a hard time at the moment, yet there he was, out on his first official date with Stella, and he really couldn't have cared less what else was going on in the world. He'd even sat through that chick flick in public without caring who noticed him and what they would say about him. It wasn't that he was opposed to chick flicks anyway. It was just that he was opposed to being seen at one in public.

"Thank you, Joe," Stella said when they finally reached the front door of her house at the end of the night. "This might be the nicest apology that you've ever given me. And let's face it, you have had to apologize a lot of times."

"Well, in my defence a lot of those times I didn't screw up alone and Nick and Kevin had something do with it. You looked really upset this time, though, so I knew I had to go all out."

Stella offered him a smile. "Well, I suppose you're forgiven then."

"Thank you."

Stella nodded. She looked up at the sky. She rubbed her bare arms where the night breeze was starting to make itself felt.

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Joe watched her turn toward the house, then suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

"You know this was a date, right, Stella?" he asked, their faces inches from one another.

"Yeah. I mean, I guess..."

"This was a date, Stella. And you know how I feel about you, right?"

"You feel..." Stella shook her head and tried to look as indifferent as possible. "You feel the same way I feel."

"Then you feel like we're more than friends."

"I don't know if—"

Perhaps because he didn't want to hear what she would have to say in protest, Joe's lips crashed against Stella's, interrupting her words.

"Right," Stella finally said when they parted.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Right."

Joe smiled and waved as he left her on the front porch.

He hoped that if there had been any doubt in Stella's mind before, that he was now completely forgiven.


	9. Chapter 9: Oh, how the tables

Thanks for all comments and reviews as always. I expect frustrations will abound, but they can't all be happy chapters, people! Hang in there.

**Disclaimer: **Not all my characters

**

* * *

****Chapter 9: Oh, how the tables have turned**

There was really only one thing that could happen between Joe and Stella the next day. They completely ignored one another. They didn't even just ignore Joe's confession from the night before or another shared kiss. They ignored each other. Since they both knew the other's schedule, they made sure to stay as far away as possible from the other person.

And so, with Joe avoiding Stella, Stella avoiding Joe, Kevin avoiding Macy, and Macy avoiding Kevin, it was really no surprise that Nick found himself alone at their usual lunch table when noon rolled around.

"Where are your friends, or did you quit on them too?"

Nick rolled his eyes, but pushed out the chair next to him with his foot so Sam could sit down.

"Seriously, where are they?"

"They're all avoiding each other. I'm just caught in the middle."

"Are you sure they're not just avoiding you because you're being cranky again?"

"I am not cranky."

"Nick, I had to bring you to the batting cages again yesterday so you wouldn't have a hissy fit in the parking lot."

"I am not cranky with them," he corrected, a pout on his lips.

"And people think you're the calm, sensible one."

"What can I say? You bring it out of me."

"I was wondering if I could get something else from you."

Nick's brow furrowed. "I don't know what that means."

"I was hoping I could get a return to the musical from of you."

"No way."

"Come on, Nick."

"I only joined because I was told I needed it for college applications, and that was apparently a lie."

"Well your brothers and friends only joined because you needed them there. Are you going to abandon them when they were just trying to help you?"

Nick shrugged. "I'm sure they would all appreciate a reason to quit right about now."

"Don't make me beg," Sam sighed.

"Even if you do beg, it's not going to change my mind."

Sam stuck out her lower lip. Nick shook his head.

"I might not be able to pull it off, but I'm around people who pout often enough to be completely immune to it at this point."

"I'll make you cookies."

"I'm diabetic."

"Sugar-free cookies."

"Nothing beats the cookies I make. Ask Kevin."

"I'll wash your car."

"I can bribe Frankie into washing my car just by promising him he'll be shotgun the next time we go out."

Sam took a deep breath, widened her eyes and brought her hands together. "Please? Please don't leave me alone with Penny. Especially when she's so angry that you quit and brought your songs with you."

Nick sighed. Of course he'd have to fall for the girl. And of course she'd want him to do the one thing that he really, really didn't want to do.

"All right, but no more free stuff for you."

Sam smiled. "Deal."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Where's your brother?"

Kevin rolled his eyes as he stuffed his science book in his locker.

"I don't know, Brooke."

"Do you even know which brother I'm talking about?"

"Do I care?"

Brooke's back straightened at the answer and her eyes widened. "What is up with you? Since when do you know how to be anything but pleasant?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, Brooke."

Her smile widened as he shut his locker and moved away from her.

"Oh my God. Could the rumours be true? Have you and Macy actually broken up?"

Kevin sighed and continued to move forward.

"You have got to be kidding me. Well, what worked? What happened? Come on. I tried so hard to keep you guys apart; I at least deserve to know what finally did the trick since it wasn't me."

"I just realised that it wasn't fair to Macy to be in a relationship with me. All right?"

"How is it not fair to Macy?"

"It just isn't. Is there anything else I can help you with on this miserable day?"

"Yeah, answer me this: how did you realise that this wasn't fair to Macy?"

"I got some wonderful help from her father on that front."

Brooke laughed. "Come on, Kevin. Everyone knows that a daddy doesn't want his daughter dating a rock star. Of course he's going to say that you aren't right for her."

"Well maybe he wasn't wrong."

Brooke's smiled suddenly turned devious. "Maybe he wasn't wrong. Maybe Macy should find someone else that's a little more like her. And I might just have the right person in mind."

"That's great, Brooke. Good luck with that." He left before he could hear any more.

Her smile widened as she watched him leave. "Just because I lost Kevin to Macy doesn't mean she should get to keep him. I'll finish up with Joe and Stella, and I can get back to Kevin and Macy next."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

If play practice the day before had been tense, it was nothing compared to what the five friends went through that afternoon. Stella and Joe did everything they could to stay at opposite ends of the auditorium, Kevin stared longingly at Macy who pretended not to see him, and Nick followed Sam around like a puppy, keeping her a few steps ahead of him like a shield whenever Penny was near. He'd been happy to think at the last moment of their negotiations to add that Sam had to be the one to tell Penny he was back at work on the musical, and that she could be the one to hand over the music sheets.

"Did she look at them?" he asked Sam when she returned without his papers.

"Sure."

"That's a no, isn't it?"

"I think she wants to wait until there are no distractions. That way she can really give them the attention they deserve."

"You're a horrible liar."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now explain to me what exactly is going on with your friends." Sam grabbed Nick's sleeve and pulled him down so he would sit next to her.

"Well, Joe and Stella are in love and obviously one of them did or said something about that so they are both being very awkward around each other for the moment because the thing they actually do best is denial and I think that there's even a rule between them that denial is a way of life."

"A rule one of them has obviously broken."

"Exactly." Nick nodded.

"Kevin and Macy?"

"Kevin thinks that Macy is better off without him for reasons that I don't quite understand, so they are both miserable, but don't want to make the other person miserable by being here and making it even harder on each other, so they are in love but also ignoring each other."

"And who is that talking to Macy?"

"That's... Oh God."

"What?"

"That's Alex."

Sam leaned forward to get a closer look and did eventually recognize the basketball player who was the quietest jock she knew.

"Oh yeah. Do they play sports together or something?"

"No. Alex asked Macy out once before she started dating Kevin."

"And I take it from the sound of your voice that it didn't go well."

"It never happened."

"So, what's the problem?"

"I have a feeling it's about to. And Kevin's not going to take it well."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Hey, Macy."

Macy looked up from where she'd been pouring all her concentration on the hem of Joe's pants.

"Oh, hi, Alex."

"How's it going?"

"All right."

"I hear you and Kevin broke up."

Macy jumped back at his words.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Around." He shrugged. "Is it true?"

"I guess," Macy sighed.

"Are you okay?"

Macy looked up at him and let their gazes meet for a second. She shrugged.

"And to think that you missed our date because of him."

"Oh my God." Macy's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Alex. I really am. I had completely forgotten about that, and like I said it wasn't really Kevin's fault. I was watching Frankie, and my grandmother was sick and—"

"Chill, Macy," Alex interrupted with a chuckle. "I was just kidding. That was forever ago."

"I really am sorry."

"Well why don't you make it up to me," he suggested, bumping his fist against her shoulder.

"Make it up to you? How?"

"Well, we were supposed to get Italian food and never did, remember?"

"Right..."

"So let's do it."

Macy looked up toward the stage, and immediately found Kevin watching her from afar. He quickly looked away when he saw her attention focus on him.

"I don't know. I mean..."

"Oh come on. You owe me one. Besides, we'll go as friends. I'm sure you could use a friend right now to distract you from everything else that's going on in your life."

"I could use any distraction I can get."

"Great. I'll be very distracting. I'll talk about sports and... sports... I'll do what I can."

"Okay," Macy finally agreed, feeling about as much enthusiasm as she had about everything else in her life since Kevin had put an end to their relationship. "It's a deal."

"Great. This Friday. We'll talk details later."

Alex offered her another tap on the shoulder and left the auditorium.

"That was random," Macy thought to herself as she watched him walk away. She shivered as the room suddenly felt empty once again and turned to find Kevin walking away. Never mind Friday, she needed a distraction now.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Well, he's gone now."

"Yeah, but did you see Kevin? It doesn't matter that Alex is gone. He did not like that."

Sam shook her head. "He's the one that broke up with her. He's going to have to deal with the possibility that she dates other people."

"I thought they'd get back together before—"

"Nick?"

Nick looked up and blushed when he found Macy staring at him.

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow you for a second? You don't mind, do you, Sam?"

Sam shook her head and waved her hand for Macy to take him away.

"I'm really sorry, Macy. We were just talking."

"About what?"

Nick's eyes widened. "You didn't hear?"

"No. What were you talking about?"

He offered her an awkward grin and shook his head. "Doesn't matter. What did you want to talk about?"

"I want you to meet Amanda."

"Who's Amanda?"

"New girl."

"Why am I meeting her?" Nick asked, already letting Macy drag him across the auditorium.

"Because she's cute and sings well and you're going to like her."

"Whoa, Macy, hold on." Nick dug his heels in the floor to keep Macy from dragging him any further. "The bet's over, Macy. You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"I have to, Nick," Macy told him, her eyes on the floor.

"It's okay."

He cringed when she looked up and he could see the tears in her eyes.

"I have to. I need a distraction and Stella talking about clothes just isn't doing it anymore. Competition distracts me, and this is the only one I have going on right now."

"Look, Macy, I appreciate what you're trying to do but—"

"Please, Nick. I'm honestly going crazy without him, and I can't think of anything else that's going to do the trick right now."

Nick sighed. After all, he too could use a distraction at the moment.

"So she's cute and sings well, huh?"

"Yeah."


	10. Chapter 10: Out of sync

Hey, thanks once again for all comments and reviews. Kind of a transition chapter, but working some important plot elements, I promise.

**Disclaimer**: Still not all my characters

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**Chapter 10: Out of sync**

Nick wished Kevin still carried around his thesaurus. He wished that anyone at the table carried a thesaurus with them so he could pull it out and find the exact word that would describe their lunch table. "Tense" was simply not word enough for the situation.

Macy was going out with Alex. Apparently only as friends.

He was going out with Amanda. Really just as a way to distract both himself and Macy.

Kevin was miserable.

Stella and Joe still hadn't said a word to each other all week.

Sam... Well, Sam had seemed sad all morning, and Nick was still debating within himself whether he could get involved and try to cheer her up without falling even more for her and therefore further bruising his heart. Though, in his defence, where was her "babe" to cheer her up now?

"I'm gonna... baseball," Macy said as she gathered her things and left the table.

She had been gone less than a minute before Kevin rose from his seat as well.

"Where are you going, bro?"

"Watch from afar," he sighed, leaving the group with his feet dragging and his shoulders drooping.

"Poor Kevin," Stella said as she watched him leave.

"Poor Kevin?" Joe asked. "He's the one who broke up with her. Poor Macy."

"How can you say that? He's obviously completely torn up about it."

"That's his own fault. It's not like Macy's any better."

Nick and Sam exchanged a worried look.

"How can you not be worried about Kevin? He's your brother."

"And I thought she was your best friend. Or did she do or say something that has gotten you to ignore her as well?"

"No, because unlike some people, Macy doesn't run around in circles thinking she can just turn me on and off like a switch."

"Well maybe that's because you don't do the same thing to her. Ready to take a chance one day and then ignoring everything else the next."

"Maybe that's because that wasn't a decision I would make but a decision me and Macy would have to make together."

"Maybe Macy would just play along and say that she agreed with the decision because she didn't want to put herself out there and have you disagree with her and shoot her down."

"Well maybe I wouldn't have."

"Ugh!" Joe yelled, both he and Stella ignoring the many eyes that were now watching their very public fight. "You're impossible."

"You're impossible. I don't know how I've put up with you all these years."

"Well I don't know why I've put up with you all these years."

"Well maybe you won't have to anymore."

"Maybe you won't have to anymore."

They stared at each other silently for a few moments before both of them grabbed their separate bags and headed toward opposite ends of the school.

"Maybe it's their sanities you should have been helping with," Nick whispered to Sam as he waited for his fellow students to disperse from the free show they had just been given.

She offered him a small smile.

"Come on," Nick nudged her in the side. "That was kind of funny, which means really funny for me."

Sam widened her smile to show a few teeth.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're sure?"

"I'm just worried about Macy and Kevin, I guess."

Nick nodded, not believing her for a moment, but as he was quickly running out of people to eat lunch with, he wasn't going to press the issue.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Joe threw another book into his locker, relishing in the loud bang it made as it crashed into the metal.

They were all being ridiculous, he'd decided. Macy and Kevin for trying to be apart. Stella for denying she had feelings for him. Nick for holding in his feelings for Sam. And Sam for having a boyfriend already. All of them were just being ridiculous and he didn't see why he had to be subjected to it.

He threw another book in, happy that it was hardcover and would make that much more noise.

"What did geometry ever do to you?"

Joe rolled his eyes. He didn't even want to have to start listing all the ways in which Brooke was ridiculous.

"What did I ever do to you?" she asked with a pout.

"Are you really asking me that question?"

Brooke sighed and batted her eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right. I guess that whole bet thing with Macy was kind of extreme."

"Kind of?"

"Well she agreed to it as well."

"She agreed because— You know what? I'm not having this argument with you. I had nothing to do with that bet and I have enough ridiculous things in my life without that being added to the list."

"You mean Stella."

"I don't call Stella a thing."

Brooked offered him a sympathetic smile. "Because she would hurt you?"

"I'm not afraid of Stella."

Brooke raised an eyebrow.

"Much," he finished.

"Well, I have to say that I thought you were making progress as well. I mean, I tried to help by flaring up her jealousy when I kissed you, but really, she just doesn't seem to want to get it."

"Yeah, a lot of help you were."

"Maybe she really isn't into you. I mean, after all, she's never really said no to Van Dyke, has she? Maybe she really does like him and just doesn't know how to tell you because she doesn't want to hurt your feelings."

"What do you want, Brooke?"

"I'm just trying to help."

"Yourself," Joe finished for her. "I don't have time to worry about what you're up to right now."

"Okay," Brooked shrugged. "I'll see you at rehearsals."

She fluttered her hand at him and skipped down the hall.

Another person to add to his list of ridiculous, Joe thought to himself with a shake of the head.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Hey, Nick."

Nick smiled up at Amanda as she sat next to him.

"What are you up to?"

Nick took a quick glance at the pad of paper next to him and the guitar in his hands. Was she serious?

"Just writing."

"Homework?"

"A song."

"Wow. That's awesome. I love songs."

"I know. You told me yesterday when we met."

"Yep. Is this for the musical?"

"No. All those songs are with Penny now. This is just a song I had in my head that I'm trying to get out."

"That's fun."

Nick raised an eyebrow. The girl obviously wasn't a songwriter if she a) didn't understand that "trying to get out" wasn't something synonymous with fun and b) wouldn't leave him alone so he could do it.

"So we're going out," she told him.

"We're going to go on a date tomorrow," he agreed, choosing his words carefully.

"That'll be fun."

"It'll be something."

Amanda smiled and nodded her head. She moved her gaze around them, her hands playing together in her lap.

"I really liked your shirt yesterday."

Nick wondered how long this was going to go on.

"Thanks."

Awkward silence.

"Did you like it?"

"What?"

"Your shirt."

"Yeah. I liked it a month ago when I bought it, and I liked it yesterday morning when I picked it out of the closet."

"We have a lot in common."

Oh for the love of all that is Mike. She had to be kidding him. He'd been sceptical yesterday when Macy had introduced them and seemed to guide the conversation from then on, but unless he was making her nervous for some reason that escaped him, he couldn't see how this could possibly work out.

"And Macy really looks like she wants us to get along."

And there it was. Macy. Nick couldn't get the image of poor Macy almost crying out of his thoughts. Never mind distracting himself from Sam and her "babe", he couldn't see himself cancelling his date with Amanda just in the hopes that going through with it might make the small girl smile. So what if Amanda was proving not to be the smartest girl in the world? Nick lived with Kevin; he knew how to work around these things.

"Right?"

"Yeah," Nick finally agreed, hoping that she hadn't just asked him something completely preposterous.

"Um, so I'm—"

"Have to go," Nick finished. From the confused look on her face he was pretty sure that wasn't what the girl was about to say, but if he had to be alone with her for a good part of the next evening, he'd have to save all his empty conversation for then. "I understand. I'll stay here and try to finish this song."

"Okay," she answered slowly, getting up from her seat on the bench next to him. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yep," he agreed.

He let out a relieved breath when she was finally gone. Macy, he reminded himself; he was doing this for his friend Macy.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Kevin took a deep breath as he stared at the door.

Waiting wouldn't change anything. He knew that. Stalling would only give the anxiety he felt time to grow. Escaping would only get him in trouble with his mother. He'd already tried to convince his brothers that they should volunteer to do this for him, and they had all three refused, probably plotting together to put him in this sticky situation in the first place.

He deserved it, he supposed.

Finally, Kevin could wait no longer and walked into the store, praying that Macy wouldn't be behind the counter.

"Hello, Kevin."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Hi, Mrs. Misa. How are you today?"

"I'm well. How are you?"

"Good. Mom wanted me to bring these clothes down."

"That's wonderful. Did you let Macy go through them first? You know that when you boys bring us some clothes she usually goes through it first and buys a few pieces she likes."

Kevin's jaw drop and he could feel all the blood rush from his face. "You mean, you don't know that—"

"Oh, you two are still on the outs. Well, I wouldn't worry if I were you. You and Macy will work it out. I've seen the two of you together. I'm sure you'll be all right."

"I don't think your husband would agree with you," Kevin told her as he dropped the bag of clothes on the counter.

"Oh, him. He's just angry because he isn't the most important man in his baby's life."

"No, he's angry because Macy isn't living her life because of me, and she won't be when we're apart."

Macy's mother frowned at Kevin, rummaging through the clothes as they talked. "What do you mean? Macy has a life."

"She made her friends reschedule her birthday party once because we were on television that night."

Mrs. Misa laughed. "Yeah, but that was old Macy. Haven't you noticed the difference in her? She's changed so much since she went from being a fan to being a friend and girlfriend. I mean, she even refused those backstage passes, remember?"

Kevin stopped for a moment, then did remember the shock he'd felt when Macy had refused to accept backstage passes to one of their biggest shows of the year because it was her grandmother's birthday.

"I guess."

"My daughter still loves you and your brothers, but she's no longer the crazy fan. She's grown up. She goes out when you are away for a concert or visiting family. She doesn't sit around at home waiting for you to call, Kevin. She has friends and her sports. She's going to be sad when you're apart, but she isn't going to stay in her room crying all the time."

"But Mr. Misa said—"

"Mr. Misa also thinks that Macy is still five and bought her a doll for her last birthday. He's a daddy with a baby girl. He means well, but let's face it, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"So you don't think that—" Kevin stopped and turned at the sound of the bell over the door of the store. He frowned when he saw Alex walk in.

"Hey, Kevin," Alex slowly said. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Just dropping off some clothes." Kevin waved at the clothes on the counter between himself and Mrs. Misa.

"Cool. Is Macy here?"

"She's helping Stella with some clothes for the play," Mrs. Misa answered.

"Oh, um... I guess I'll just talk to her later then."

Alex left quickly with a wave and an awkward trip over the doorframe. Kevin watched him go.

"I think I'll just—"

"Go remind him that you love Macy and that my daughter loves you? I think that's a good idea," Mrs. Misa said with a smile and a hand that waved Kevin away.

He leaned over the counter and landed a quick kiss on her cheek before rushing out of the store.

He simply wanted to chat with Alex, he told himself. Just remind the guy that even if he and Macy weren't together, it didn't mean he wouldn't be willing to fight for her if necessary. He was interrupted by the sounds of voices around the corner, however.

"Was she there?"

"No, but Kevin was."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Kevin heard Alex answer in a worried voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. After all, you only need her for one night, right?"

"I don't know about this."

"Alex, she stood you up and then she ignored you."

"She apologized for standing me up, and she was busy with Kevin. I mean, Macy's always been nice to me."

"She ignored you. It's just a little revenge. It won't hurt."

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay," Alex finally answered with a sigh.

"Okay. Tomorrow."

Kevin waited around the corner until he was sure they had both left. He hadn't needed to look to see who it was Alex was talking to, and though he wasn't sure what exactly their plan was, he knew he wasn't going to let them do anything that might hurt Macy.


	11. Chapter 11: Date night

Yay for comments! Yay for reviews! Yay for a little bit of happiness in this chapter! (I'm Friday happy)

**Disclaimer: **Not all my characters

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**Chapter 11: Date night**

Joe watched, seething in anger from afar. Perhaps if he knew what they were saying, he wouldn't have a reason to be angry. But, he had no clue what they were talking about, so he had absolutely no problem letting his frustration swell.

He looked around to see if anyone was paying any attention to him. Joe reached down, grabbed his shoe and threw it across the auditorium. He shrugged at the few glances it did earn him, then walked over, now finding himself only a few feet from Stella and Van Dyke as they chatted.

What? He had to get his shoe; it wasn't his fault that's where it had landed...

His jaw dropped as he listened. The jerk was asking her out. Van Dyke was asking his Stella out.

"Hey, Joe."

He jumped at the sound of a voice so close to him.

"Hey, Brooke."

"How's it going?"

"It's going." He turned his head away from her, hoping she would get the hint and leave him alone to overhear the conversation next to him.

"Remember that thing we were talking about yesterday?"

"No."

"Sure you do. We were talking about you and me going out on a date."

Joe narrowed his eyes. They most certainly were not talking about that, and even if they had been, there was no reason for Brooke to be talking about it loudly enough for the entire school to hear.

"I'd love to go out with you tomorrow, Van Dyke," he heard Stella answer, obviously loud enough for him to feel like he was part of the conversation.

"Awesome," the jock answered. "We'll try El Meat again. Those bibs are awesome."

"Great," Stella chirped, and though Joe refused to look in her direction, he could hear her breathing, only a few feet away from him and waiting for his reaction.

"Joe?" Brooke asked, apparently having put their conversation on pause long enough for Stella to finish her show. "Date?"

Joe watched her carefully. He was being played. There was no doubt in his mind. He was completely being played.

"How about tomorrow?" he finally asked.

"Tomorrow is perfect."

Brooke smiled at him as he heard Stella's heels clicking off and away from him. He had the start of a plan. Hopefully, it wouldn't blow up on him.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"What is that smell?"

"What smell?"

"How can you not smell it?" Frankie asked as he pulled a piece of cake out of the refrigerator.

"Tell me what the smell is," Nick reasoned, "and maybe I'll know what you're talking about."

"It's like..." Frankie sniffed the air as he looked for the right word. He moved closer to Nick. "It's you."

"What?"

"It's you. You smell."

"That's called cologne. It's supposed to smell. It smells nice."

"No, it's not."

"What do you know?" Nick asked with a frown as he tried to subtly smell himself.

"I know you stink."

"I do not."

"Whoa, what is that smell?" Joe asked as he walked into the room.

"I'll go shower," Nick said as he took a quick glance at his watch to make sure he had enough time.

"See, he did smell."

"Not really. I heard your conversation from upstairs. I just like messing with Nick."

Frankie frowned and looked Joe over. "Where are you going?"

"Date."

"With Stella?"

"With Brooke."

"Who's Brooke?"

"She's just a girl."

"If she's just a girl, then why are you going out with her?"

"To make Stella jealous."

Frankie shook his head.

"What? It'll totally work."

"What'll totally work?"

Both brothers turned to see Kevin sliding down the fireman's pole.

"Going out with Brooke to make Stella jealous."

"Now that's playing with fire if I've ever heard it."

Joe shrugged. "Stella said yes to Van Dyke. I had to do something."

"And because you two are you two, telling her the truth about how you felt and that you didn't want her to go out with Van Dyke wasn't enough."

"That's right. Where are you off to?"

"I'm going on Macy's date."

"You and Macy made up?" Joe asked with a frown. "How come I didn't hear about it?"

"We didn't. She's going on a date. I'm just... I guess I'm stalking her."

Joe nodded. "Well, good luck with that."

"Thanks."

They followed each other out the front door while Frankie continued eating his cake with nothing but the sound of the shower running as company.

"Wait. Who's watching me?"

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Kevin sighed as he watched her through the window of the café. He checked his watch. He looked around. He looked back at Macy.

He didn't know what exactly Alex and Brooke had planned, and he didn't know exactly when it was going to happen, but he knew that he was sick of seeing Macy look miserable and alone, especially when she was starting to get more and more sympathetic looks from the customers and staff that surrounded her who seemed fairly sure that she had been stood up for the night. He just couldn't take it any longer.

"You mind if I join you?"

Macy's jaw dropped as she looked up and found Kevin standing in front of her. "I'm waiting for someone."

"I'll move when he gets here."

She shrugged.

Kevin sat down and waited silently.

"Macy?"

"Yeah?"

"You look beautiful."

She laughed and shook her head. "What are you doing here, Kevin?"

"I was going to save you." He shrugged.

"Save me from what?"

"I don't know. I overheard Brooke and Alex talking yesterday, and... I don't know what they were talking about, but I know they were talking about getting back at you for standing Alex up that time because of me—"

"Because I was baby-sitting Frankie," she was quick to correct.

"And I just... I didn't want anything to happen to you. If standing you up was all they had planned, I guess I wasn't really needed."

"Why would you even care?"

"What?"

"Why would you even care if they did something mean to me? You broke up with me, remember?"

"I broke up with you because I didn't want you to be miserable when I was away on tour or at school."

"So you decided that I should be miserable now?"

"I thought I'd break up with you before you liked me even more and before it could hurt even more."

"It couldn't have hurt more."

"I thought you'd get over it."

"I will."

Kevin shook his head. "I don't want you to get over it anymore. I don't care how much it's going to hurt me when we're apart, because I know that you're strong enough to take it, and I don't want you to share that strength with anyone else. I don't want to be broken up, Macy."

"What does it even matter?"

"It matters because I love you."

Her jaw dropped. Kevin winced. He'd never said the words to her before, and he certainly hadn't planned on the first time being out of anger and with that exact reaction.

"You can't say that when we're broken up."

"Then let's not be broken up."

A small smile fluttered on Macy's lips before she shook it away.

"You broke up with me. You can't just come back and think three little words will make it all right."

"Then what will make it all right?"

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"Give me a chance. Give me a date."

Macy sighed.

"This Saturday. Give me this Saturday."

"I have a family picnic this Saturday."

"I'll come."

Macy let out a chuckle. "My father's going to be there."

"Perfect."

"You don't get along with my father," Macy told him, one eyebrow high.

"I do. Sure. You'll see."

She paused for a moment. Macy sighed.

"All right. It's a deal."

"It's a date," Kevin corrected.

Macy smiled her first real smile in quite a few days.

"It's a date," she agreed.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Stella sighed as she slammed the car door behind her.

Well, that was a waste of an evening.

She would never have admitted it to anyone, but part of her had been waiting all night for Joe to appear and interrupt her date with Van Dyke. She wasn't sure she would have even accepted his invitation if she hadn't believed that someone would interrupt their outing to make sure she wasn't submitted to what she'd been sure would have been the horrible evening of their first date had Joe and Macy not magically showed up.

But, of course, Joe hadn't appeared. He had his own date with another girl to worry about. At least, that's what Stella thought until she walked up her driveway and found him sitting on the front steps of her house.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

"I thought you had a date."

"No. I realised I didn't want to go. I really just wanted to shut Brooke up. She might still be waiting for me to show up right now since I haven't answered any of her calls."

"Okay." Stella shook her head. "So, you didn't want to go out with Brooke. What are you doing here though?"

"I like you, Stella," Joe said as he stood to face her. "I like you a lot. I like you as a best friend, and I like you as more. And I can live with us just being the first, but I would really like it if we tried being the second. But I can't live in limbo anymore."

"You know what I think about this, Joe."

"No, I don't. I don't because your words say one thing, but everything else about you says the other." He reached out and linked his hands with hers. "I can't keep guessing anymore, Stells. I'm so tired of guessing. I'm telling you that I like you as more than a friend, and I'm telling you that I want us to be more than friends, and I'm leaving the ball in your court."

"We'll just hurt each other."

He shrugged. "I don't see how we could hurt each other more than we are right now."

There was a moment of silence between them, one of very few since they had first met.

"Just think about it, please?"

She nodded, not sure she could trust her voice to say something she wouldn't eventually regret.

"Thanks, Stella."

He moved in and his lips were against her cheek before she could realise what was happening. Then everything was colder as he released her hands and walked away.

"Oh, hey," he called as he reached his car. "I hope you had fun on your date."

She rolled her eyes as he left. Sure... Sure, he did.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Nick let his head fall back against the doorframe.

What in the world was that?

The two first minutes of the date had been fine, and then he'd quickly realised something. He and Amanda had nothing in common.

Macy had been right. The girl was cute and she could sing well. That did not make her interesting. In fact, her voice was the only thing that was interesting about her.

Perhaps he was being too hard on the girl. He was sure there were a lot of people that would have loved to hear about how she'd chosen the colour for her nails or the barrette for her hair. He was not one of them.

She'd squirmed in her seat when he'd ordered steak. She'd complained that there was too much dressing on her salad. She'd balked when he suggested they do something more athletic than walk the halls of the mall after their meal.

She was just not the girl for him. It was crystal clear.

And yet, he had agreed to go out with her again. Why she wanted to go out with him when he'd been increasingly unpleasant as the evening stretched on was beyond him, but she'd wanted to and with the image of Macy in tears once again in his head, he had agreed. He was just too nice for his own good.

He sighed as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom, then frowned when he was met with the sight of Kevin lifting weights.

"What are you doing?"

"Working out."

"Why?"

"To impress Macy's father."

"Why?"

Kevin shrugged as much as he could while holding so much weight in the air. "One of the things he keeps complaining about is how I don't do manly things. Well, this is manly."

"What does it matter now that you and Macy are broken up?"

"She's giving me a second chance. We have a date this Saturday."

"You and Macy are getting back together?" Nick asked, practically skipping in his spot.

"I'm trying."

"That's awesome!"

Kevin smiled. "Thanks, bro. I didn't know you cared so much."

"I don't. But now I can totally cancel my date with Amanda."

Kevin frowned as he watched Nick leave the room. His frown grew to a worried wince as the weights he was holding started getting heavier and heavier in his grasp.

"Nick? Frankie? Someone? Help!"


	12. Chapter 12: Halfway to happy

Thanks again for all comments and reviews. Here's the latest.

**Disclaimer:** Not all my characters

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****Chapter 12: Half-way to happy**

Nick sighed as he slouched lower in his seat.

Seriously, how was it that every time he had a Saturday to himself, something came up? Now, for example, why was it that Penny chose this Saturday to start rehearsing the songs? Sure, she had claimed that they had gotten their lines and marks right and now she could really start concentrating on the music, but couldn't she have started concentrating on the music Monday, after Nick had spent the weekend at the golf course or the batting cage?

It really didn't matter, however, because here he was, sitting in the school auditorium and listening to people sing his words.

"Hey, Nick"

"Hey, Penny."

She took a seat next to him and straightened the hem of her skirt.

"They sound pretty good, right?"

"They sound like they will sound pretty good after they've practiced for a while."

"That's good."

He nodded. Penny nodded. They watched the actors.

"Your songs are really good."

"Thanks."

"You did really well. I mean, I was distracted by the play and the actors, and you were really good at listening to what I was saying and just using the comments that made the most sense. That's awesome."

Nick shrugged. "Sam helped. Let's face it, I'm not always the most receptive person to criticism."

"You do all right," Penny said with a laugh.

"Thanks, I guess."

"I was thinking we could go over them together. You know, just to make sure that they're perfect."

"You've already given them to the actors and musicians, but you want to go over them with me?"

"Um, or, I mean... we could do something else if you wanted."

"What?" Nick sat up at the offer. What was she talking about?

"I know you've been seeing a lot of Amanda lately and you guys might be dating or whatever but—"

"I am not dating Amanda," Nick was quick to answer. He'd spent half an hour that morning explaining to Amanda that they weren't dating. The last thing he needed was someone else talking about them as though they were a couple and confusing the girl even more.

"Well, I'm not dating Matthew anymore."

"What?"

"Matthew and I broke up."

"Okay..."

"And I was thinking you and I could maybe try us again."

Nick blinked. He looked around to see if there was anyone there who could confirm what he thought he had just heard. Unfortunately, everyone was far off on stage or busy with their own conversations.

"What?"

"I think I'm asking you out on a date."

"Huh."

Penny watched Nick for a moment as he seemed to think about her offer.

"So? What do you think?"

Nick let his eyes wander around the room, searching for a quick exit from the conversation. There was no one around to save him. Where was Sam when he really needed her? Probably with babe, Nick thought with a wince.

"Can I think about it?" he asked Penny.

"Sure. Get back to me."

"Okay."

"I'll go talk to Joe about not tripping over his own feet."

She sent him an awkward wave and was on her way.

That, Nick thought to himself, he hadn't seen coming.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Joe, you're missing your mark."

Joe somehow kept himself from rolling his eyes as he tried to explain himself to Penny again.

"I'm not missing my mark. My mark is an inch from Trevor over there. If I hit my mark, I am running into him and pushing him over. I don't think that's what you're going for."

"But the lighting hits you best if you're on your mark."

"Then move Trevor so that I can stand on my mark without snuggling up to him."

"But the light hits Trevor best on his mark."

"Then get another light."

Penny sighed. "Let me see what I can do."

She moved away from the actors and headed toward the lightboard in the back of the room. Joe sighed as he watched her leave, grabbing the music sheets she had given him the day before to see how many of the words to Nick's lyrics he had already forgotten.

"Hey."

He looked up to find Brooke standing only a few feet away from him. He'd managed to avoid her since their missed date, but had known his luck wouldn't last forever.

"Hey."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So where were you the other night? You completely stood me up."

"Oh, right. Well, I had to wash my hair."

"We had a date."

"I'm sorry. Did I ruin an evil plan of yours or something?"

Brooke narrowed her eyes at him. He shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to the pages in his hands, missing the devious smile that spread across Brooke's lips.

"So Stella," she said, shifting her attention to the girl who stood a few feet away, "how was your date with Van Dyke?"

"It was fine," Stella answered with a shrug.

"It was fine as in you're going to go out with him again, or it was fine as in you're done playing with him now?"

"I wasn't playing with Van Dyke."

"Please, don't kid anyone. Your attempts at using other boys to get Joe to notice you are not only pathetic, but really aren't fooling anyone."

"I'm not using people. And I don't need to do anything to get Joe to notice me."

"Oh, please. No one believes you're that innocent, Stella."

Stella blinked and took a deep breath as she looked around the room. All eyes were on her, waiting for her to defend herself.

"Well, I..." She choked on her words. She certainly never meant to use Van Dyke; he just seemed to keep getting caught between moments when she and Joe were good, and moments when they were ready to kill one another.

"You what?" Brooke asked. "Come on, Stella. We've all seen the footage from the Miss Most Amazing Teen. We know how well you talk in the spotlight. So, what have you got to say?"

"Leave her alone, Brooke," Joe interrupted as he moved around the girl to stand next to Stella, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "She's right. She doesn't have to do anything to get me to notice her. And it's not her fault that I'd rather date her than you any day, so why don't you just stop humiliating yourself."

"But, Joe, I thought we were—"

"We definitely aren't; so get over it."

Her jaw dropped. Her eyes narrowed. A loud puff of breath escaped her lips as she twirled around and left the room.

"That's probably not the last we've seen of her, is it?" Stella asked as she watched the girl go.

"No."

"It's also probably not the last time I hear about that pageant either, is it?"

"I've saved some footage for years from now when you think everyone's forgotten."

Stella rolled her eyes and let her fist collide with Joe's stomach. He doubled over, somehow keeping his arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks."

He smiled, straightening up so he could look at her eye-to-eye. "You're welcome."

"Listen, Joe, I—"

"Aha!"

Everyone in the room looked toward the back of the auditorium at the sound. Penny grinned.

"I've fixed the lighting."

Joe sighed as he loosened his grip from around Stella.

"Great," he mumbled as he moved next to Trevor. "Fantastic timing."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Kevin took a deep breath as they approached the barbecue and crowd of people.

"Are you okay?" Macy asked, leaning toward him so she could whisper the words and not have everyone in her family hear them.

"Sure."

"You look like you're going to pass out."

"I just need a little sun. I've been working too hard lately, I guess."

Macy raised an eyebrow at him. "Speaking of working hard, how did you get out of rehearsals today?"

"I said I had something important to do."

"And Penny just let you skip rehearsals?"

"I didn't really ask if she minded. I told her I had something important to do, and that I wasn't going to be there."

"So you lied?"

"No. This is important, Macy."

Macy smiled at Kevin, but quickly had to shift her attention elsewhere as her family surrounded her for hugs. Kevin lost track of her, one hand after another being thrust in his direction. There was no way he was going to remember all the names people were yelling out at him, but he tried to follow as much as possible. He also tried to ignore the scowl Macy's father wore.

This was going to be a long day.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"I beat you again."

Nick looked down first at the game controller in his hands, and then up at the screen that declared Frankie's victory. Were they still playing this game?

"Oh, yeah, I guess you did. Good job."

Frankie sighed. "You're not trying."

"I'm sorry, man. I'm just a little distracted." In fact, he'd been distracted since his little chat with Penny more than four hours earlier.

"About what?"

"Girl stuff."

"What girl stuff?"

Nick shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh, come on, I'm not that young. Plus who are you going to tell? Kevin? Joe? I don't think so."

"Penny asked me out," Nick finally said, not wanting to give himself time to think about Frankie's argument. He let the game controller fall from his hands and slouched in his seat.

"And?"

"And I have to decide whether or not I'm going to agree."

"Why wouldn't you agree?"

"Because I like Sam."

"Then why would you agree?"

"Because Sam's already got a boyfriend."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'? She's got a boyfriend. That's it."

"Who cares? You're Nick Lucas. Go up to her and ask her out and she'll dump her boyfriend for you."

"That's not how it works, Frankie."

"Are we talking about the Sam who came here and played music with you and blushed every time you sang the word love?"

Nick narrowed his eyes at his little brother, wondering how closely he'd been watching. "We are talking about the Sam that came here and played music."

"She's into you. She'll dump the other guy."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you, and you won't until you try."

Nick watched his little brother for a moment.

"How come you give better advice than Kevin and Joe?"

"Because I'm smarter than them. Don't worry; I give better advice than you too. Now play."

Frankie tossed the controller in Nick's direction, and started a new game before his older brother had time to protest.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"You play that well."

"Thanks," Kevin answered with a smile. He'd barely realised he was still holding the guitar. When Macy's uncle had suggested a little family jam, someone had automatically put it between Kevin's arm, and he hadn't let it go since, all too happy to have something to do with his fingers other than fiddle nervously.

"I heard you and Macy had a little trouble recently."

Kevin sighed. He was hoping he wouldn't have to discuss this with any of her family. At least if he did have to talk about it with someone, it was this nice looking older lady that Macy called "Gammy".

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I broke up with her because I thought she'd be better off without me."

"But you came to your senses."

"I did. Or, really, I was just selfish enough to decide that I didn't want to be without Macy even if I am not good enough for her."

"That's a sign of true love, you know," she told him, patting his knee.

"What's that?"

"Thinking that nothing, including yourself, is good enough for the person you love."

"Well, nothing is good enough for Macy."

"And those words, more than anything else, are really what convince me that you are good enough for my granddaughter."

Kevin watched her with a furrowed brow as she left him alone with the guitar. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he figured that he now had at least two people on his and Macy's side.


	13. Chapter 13: Truths come out

Thanks again for all comments and reviews. Things are starting to wind up; two more chapters after this one.

**Disclaimer:** Still somehow not all my characters. Odd.

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**Chapter 13: Truths come out**

Kevin narrowed his eyes at the boy as he approached their table. It was only the feeling of Macy's hand in his that kept him from leaping over the table and clobbering the guy.

"Hi, Macy. Hi, Kevin."

"Hi, Alex," Macy answered, as chirpy as ever. There had been, in fact, nothing but chirp in Macy's voice since she'd decided to take Kevin back after a weekend where he'd done absolutely everything in his power to prove to her that he was serious about getting their relationship back on track. They were going slowly and Macy refused to take things from where they were before their breakup, but she couldn't deny that she'd missed Kevin and that she was more than ready to pretend their break had never even happened.

"Alex," was Kevin's one-word answer.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Macy."

"To me? For what?"

"For standing you up," Kevin answered for the other boy.

"Well, yeah, but for more than that. See, Brooke kind of convinced me that I should get back at you for what happened, or I guess what didn't happen between us. She had this whole plan and... Well, I just decided not to show up for our date in the end because I didn't want to go through with it, but I still thought about it, and I wanted to apologize."

"What were you going to do?" Macy asked.

Alex shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's really nothing. I just wanted to apologize because I mean... you were always nice to me, Macy, and I know it's not your fault that you like Kevin."

Kevin narrowed his eyes. Was that an insult or just honesty?

"My fault?" Macy giggled.

"No, I mean... It's good, because he likes you too. And I mean, you guys are cute together and..."

"Alex?"

"Yes, Macy."

"I accept your apology. Stop talking before you need to make another one."

"Thanks," he said with a small smile and a wave before leaving Macy and Kevin to themselves.

"That Brooke," Macy sighed as she watched Alex leave.

"At least nothing bad happened."

"I wish something bad would happen to her."

"Haven't you ever heard of karma?" Kevin asked as he turned to face Macy and pull her against him, his nose nuzzling against her neck.

"I think karma's afraid of Brooke."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "We'll see."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"Hi."

Joe looked up from his math book and smiled when he saw Stella staring down at him.

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"Math."

"At lunchtime?"

"I seem to have recently lost my tutor, so I fit it in whenever I can."

Stella smiled and pulled over a chair. "Sorry about that. Your tutor has been kind of busy thinking things over."

"And is she done now?"

"Yeah," Stella told him, taking a deep breath.

"So she's free to tutor me again?"

"Absolutely," Stella said with a wide smile on her face.

"So how about this Friday?"

"I can't. I have a date."

"Oh." Joe turned his attention back to his book, hoping that Stella hadn't been able to catch the disappointment in his eyes.

"Or at least I hope I have a date on Friday. Are you in?"

"A date with me?"

She nodded.

"Really?"

Another nod.

"I don't have to sit through another chick flick again, do I?"

"No. We can do something we'll both enjoy."

"And then you'll tutor me on Saturday? Because I am seriously going down in math since you've stopped helping me."

"Date on Friday, tutoring on Saturday," Stella agreed.

"Perfect."

"Great." Stella smiled and rose from her seat. She'd only had time to turn away from Joe before his hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her toward him.

"And how about today, we check see if our spot is still available. You know, at the spot where we—"

"I know what you mean," Stella said, raising her hand to stop him.

"What do you say?"

She bit her lip and looked him over.

"How far behind are you in your math homework?"

"About three days," he shrugged.

"You'll keep up until our tutoring session on Saturday?"

"I'll catch up by our tutoring session on Saturday if I have to."

"Well," Stella looked down at her watch, "it would be nice if I could give Macy and Kevin a little more time on their own."

"That's a yes," Joe declared, gathering his things with one hand while keeping a tight hold on Stella's with the other so he could drag her to the back of the library as soon as he had all his things together.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Nick hated it when his brother was right. Actually, he hated it when any of his brothers were right. He liked being right, but really did not care for it at all when it was someone else's turn to be knowledgeable. So, it had taken him all weekend to admit to himself that Frankie was right.

He needed answers.

Even if he was about to be rejected, he needed Sam to tell him they could never be together before he could give up on the idea of them. Nothing else would do. So, he took a deep breath and moved toward her. He was ready, even if she was going to tell him that his being Nick Lucas really didn't do anything for her.

After all, he'd only have to work with her on the play for a few more weeks, and then he could find a way to completely avoid her in the school halls, right?

"Hey, Sam."

She smiled at the sound of his voice breaking. "Hi, Nick."

"How's it going?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm all right."

"That's good."

There was a moment of silence between them as Sam transferred a few books from her locker to her bag.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Sure. Good. Why do you ask?"

"Because you look like you're going to be sick."

"No. I'm all right."

"It's not Penny, is it? I heard she asked you out. You guys didn't get into a fight or something, did you?"

"This has nothing to do with Penny."

"Well that's good. So what's—"

"Hey, Charlotte."

Sam smiled as she turned to watch a girl Nick seemed to remember having spotted with her a few times, pass by them.

"Hey, Babe."

"We're still on for the movies tomorrow."

"For sure."

"Cool. Later."

Sam nodded at the girl and then returned her attention to Nick who was watching her with confused eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"She called you Charlotte."

"Yeah."

"Your name is Sam."

"Oh, yeah. But Suzie and I have known each other since we were kids. I was obsessed with Charlotte's Web, so she calls me Charlotte and she was obsessed with a talking pig, so I call her Babe."

"She's babe."

"Yeah."

"She's the babe you've talked to on the phone and that you went to the movies with that time."

"Yeah."

Nick let out a loud sigh. "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

"Thanks for reminding me. I'd almost forgotten there."

Before either of them could realise what was happening, Nick had one hand wrapped around Sam's waist and another around her neck, pulling her against him until their lips met. Nick felt her melt against him, until she suddenly pushed him away.

"You can't..."

"What?"

"I'm not..."

"What is it?"

"I have to go."

And with that, Nick found himself alone in the hallway.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Nick couldn't help but scowl at the crowd around the dinner table. How was it that both his older brothers, who were much better at screwing up relationships than he was, both had girls on their sides while he didn't? And why did his parents have to go talk to Frankie's teacher once again, leaving him alone with these couples?

"Didn't want to invite Penny?" Kevin asked Nick with a nudge of the elbow halfway through the meal.

"Penny?" Joe asked between bites of food.

"She asked him out," Macy answered.

"When?"

"Saturday," Macy said.

"Where?"

"At rehearsals," Kevin answered.

"Where was I?" Joe asked, not caring that his mouth wasn't empty yet.

"At rehearsals as well," Kevin said as he reached for more bread. "How can you not know? Macy and I weren't even there and we know. The whole school is talking about it."

"I was preoccupied," Joe answered with narrowed eyes.

"So you're going out with Penny again?" Stella asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I kissed Sam."

Both Joe and Kevin choked on their food.

"What about her boyfriend, dude?" Joe asked.

"Doesn't have one."

"What about babe?"

"Nickname for a friend."

"Well yeah," Stella said. "Everyone knows Sam calls Suzie Babe and Suzie calls Sam Charlotte."

"Not everyone," Nick countered with a sarcastic smirk. "And thanks so much for sharing that information with me sooner."

Stella shrugged, not quite sure what he Nick was talking about.

"So you're going out with Sam?" Kevin asked.

"No."

"But you kissed her."

"And she pushed me away."

"Why?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know."

"She must really like you."

"What?" Nick asked Stella.

"The only reason to try and rid yourself of a boy is if you really like him and are worried about something. Otherwise, if he's a good kisser, you at least let him finish the kiss."

"It's true," Macy agreed before taking another bite of her meat.

"So you're saying?"

"Confront her," all four people around the table shouted at him.

"Fine."

They ate in silence for a few moments before Kevin turned to Macy.

"Does that mean he doesn't like Amanda?"

"Definitely not."

"I'm totally still in on this bet."


	14. Chapter 14: Finally making progress

Busy chapter trying to bring things together. Thanks for all comments and reviews as always.

**Disclaimer:** Not all my characters.

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**Chapter 14: Finally making progress**

Nick let his head fall back against the locker. He'd been there all morning. In fact, he was definitely going to get in trouble for being there all morning and skipping his first class of the day. Still, waiting at Sam's locker was the only thing he could think of doing to make sure he ran into her. So there he was, with nothing but the thoughts of how out of character it had been for him to simply grab Sam and kiss her. Even more out of character than that was the fact that he couldn't think of anything else he should have done with his emotions in that exact situation.

Eventually, Sam appeared to quiet his thoughts.

"Hi."

Sam seemed to take a deep breath as she approached him. "Hi."

"Where were you this morning?"

"Dentist appointment." She flashed him a wide smile that showed off her shiny teeth.

"How'd it go?"

She shrugged. "No cavities."

"So you passed?"

"What do you want, Nick?"

"I wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"About the other day."

"What about the other day?"

He rolled his eyes. There was no way she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Why did you push me away?"

"What?"

"I kissed you. You pushed me away. Why?"

"Is it so hard to believe that there's a girl somewhere who might not want to kiss you?"

"Nope. But you did want to kiss me. You were kissing me, and then you were pushing me away and stammering a reason I couldn't quite understand. So, maybe you can explain it to me now."

"I just don't think it's a good idea that you kiss me."

"Why not?"

"Because if you kiss me, I'm going to start thinking that you like me."

"I do like you."

"That you really like me." Sam rolled her eyes and closed her locker, moving toward her class.

"I do really like you."

"Well you shouldn't."

"Why not? I already figured out that you don't have a boyfriend, and that was really the only problem I could see."

"That's the only problem you could see?"

"Yeah. Why? Am I missing something?"

"Nick, you can't like me."

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm just... I'm not... Well, I mean. You know."

"If I knew, I would have argued our way around whatever you're thinking and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"You're Nick Lucas."

"And you're Sam Carter."

"Exactly."

Nick sighed and threw his hands in the air. "I don't get it."

"I'm no one. I'm not like you and Penny who are amazing and talented, and... I can't even sing."

"I'm not asking you to sing."

"Yeah, but you deserve someone who can."

"But I don't want someone who can." Nick paused for a moment. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that. That came out wrong. Sam you—"

"Shouldn't have gotten this involved to start with. I'm sorry. You just looked so human when you were around Penny. I forgot you were out of my league."

"But you're—"

Nick sighed. She was already gone, ducking into class with a teacher he knew for a fact that he didn't want to mess with.

Well, at least now he knew what the problem was.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"I can't believe you're going to kiss her."

Joe sighed as he said the same thing he'd said the twenty previous times Stella had complained. "It's in the script."

"So?"

"So, I have to do it."

"Couldn't you bargain with Penny so that you don't have to do it?"

"Do I look like someone who wants to bargain with the girl who broke my baby brother's heart in two?"

"Frankie is your baby brother, not Nick."

"They're both my baby brothers, and I don't want to negotiate with anyone who hurts either one of them."

"But she's evil, Joe."

"I know. That's why I don't want to have to negotiate with her."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Not Penny, Brooke. Brooke is evil and mean and she gets to put her lips on yours."

"But then you get to wash that away with your lips," Joe said as he swooped in for a kiss.

"Ew, no." Stella put out her hands to keep Joe away. "I don't want to touch your lips if they've been touching hers. That's just gross."

"So you're not going to kiss me just because the play says I have to kiss Brooke?"

Stella paused for a moment to think about the question.

"Yeah. That's right."

"All right." Joe stood up from where he and Stella had been sitting against the school lockers, waiting for Nick to be done sweet talking his way out of trouble for skipping his first class. "We've got to talk with Penny to get me out of this kiss."

"I knew you'd see things my way." Stella smiled as she let Joe drag her down the hall.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Kevin waited quietly in Macy's living room. He'd offered to go upstairs to her room with her and help her gather whatever clothes she'd forgotten to bring to school for the play, but apparently their separation had spiralled her back into crazy fan mode and she didn't want him seeing her bedroom until she had a chance to remove some of the items that were spread around. To be perfectly honest, that had simply peaked Kevin's curiosity, but he knew that he'd recently been on very thin ice, and so decided to do whatever it was that his girlfriend wanted.

Unfortunately, that meant that he was alone in the living room when her father walked through the front door.

"Kevin?"

"Hello, sir."

"Are you here to pick up some things? Is that why Macy's room looks the way it does? She's getting your things for you?"

Kevin sent what he was sure was a confused look in the man's direction.

"Didn't she tell you?"

"What?"

"Macy and I are back together. Remember? I was at the family picnic this weekend."

"Oh, I thought that was a last hurrah kind of thing."

"Nope. No, that was me and Macy back together."

Mr. Misa sighed. "I thought we'd talked about this."

"We did. And I understand what you're saying, sir, but I really think that it's up to Macy whether or not she wants to pursue a long distance relationship with me."

"But this could make her miserable."

Kevin shrugged. "From what I saw, us being apart definitely makes her miserable. And I know it definitely makes me miserable."

"So this is about you."

"This is about me and Macy." It was on the tip of his tongue for Kevin to tell Mr. Misa that Mrs. Misa and Gammy were both completely on board with the relationship, but he didn't want to cause any tension in the family by pinning people on sides, and so tried to keep quiet.

"Well, I suppose that you're right about that, but it doesn't mean that I approve."

"And I hope that I can change your mind about that."

Mr. Misa scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. Macy bounced down the stairs before he could offer an answer, however.

"Hi, daddy. Bye, daddy." She rose on the tips of her toes to land a quick kiss on his cheek, then held out half of the clothes that filled her arms toward Kevin for help.

"Where are you two going?"

"Play practice. Don't worry. The play is next week, so all this craziness will soon be over."

"Let's hope."

For some reason, Kevin didn't think Macy's father was talking about the play alone.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Joe sighed as he sat next to Stella in the long rows of chairs.

"What did she say?"

"She said the kiss had to stay."

Stella narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Well I'm gonna tell her that—"

"I did, however," Joe said as he reached out to grab Stella's arm and make sure she stayed in her seat, "convince her that it would be better if the kiss wasn't rehearsed, which means I don't have to kiss Brooke until opening night, and only if we don't figure some way of getting me out of it between now and then."

"So you have a plan to get out of it between now and then?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Asking Nick to think up a plan to get me out of this."

Stella sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know Nick is practically a genius and all, but haven't you guys noticed yet that whenever he thinks up a plan, it always backfires? Inviting Maria over to decide which of you she liked best had her run away. Recording Macy before your record exec came to visit broke her heart. Doing an interview on the same night as my birthday party almost cost you my friendship... Are you seeing a pattern here?"

"But it's Nick." Joe shrugged. "He comes up with the plans."

"Maybe you should get a new planner."

"What like you?"

"What? I am a good planner. Remember when I got us out of the thrift shop that time you guys were stuck."

"You didn't get us out. We had to rush back in when we were ambushed."

"You were only ambushed because Nick answered his phone. See! It's Nick's fault again! He was probably just angry that we were using someone else's plan."

Joe shook his head. "Well, I've got nothing, and unless you have something, I don't see what the harm in asking him is."

"It's going to backfire."

"Well, let's find out. Nick!" Joe sat up and waved his hand to grab his brother's attention as he walked into the atrium. Nick rushed over, papers crumpling in his hands.

"What?"

"Is that any way to say hi to your brother?"

"What do you want, Joe?"

"A plan."

"For what?"

"To get me out of kissing Brooke."

"What?"

"I don't want to kiss Brooke and Stella doesn't want me to kiss Brooke. Figure out a way to get me out of it."

"One that will preferably not backfire," Stella added.

"My plans don't backfire."

"You invite the pizza girl—"

"Okay, Stella," Joe said, raising his hand. "We don't have time for the list. Plan, please."

"Just talk to Penny."

"I did. She said the play isn't the play without a kiss."

"Then you're going to have to kiss Brooke. The only way you wouldn't be kissing Brooke is if you weren't in the play. I'm sorry, but I have my own plan to execute right now."

"For what?"

"Sam won't date me because she can't sing."

"What?"

"Well, that's not it exactly," Nick said with a shrug, "but it's something along those lines."

"So what are you going to do?"

"What do I always do when I can't do anything about a situation?"

"Write a song about it."

"Well, it's something like that." Nick shrugged. "Mostly thanks to Babe, who, by the way, we owe VIP tickets to. Wish me luck."

"Luck," Joe and Stella yelled after him though neither knew what exactly he was up to.

Nick jogged to the front of the room and hopped onto the stage.

"Penny. I want you to listen to something."

"We're rehearsing, Nick."

"You haven't started rehearsing yet. Your star is arguing with his girlfriend in the bleachers. Come on."

"What is it?"

"It's a song I think you should put in the show." Nick took a quick scan of the room. Macy and Kevin weren't there, but everyone else in the play seemed to be, including his faithful co-whatever-he-was.

"We have all the songs we need."

"You don't have this one."

"It's too late to add a song."

"You'll pass up on what is potentially the greatest song of your show just because you don't want to take the time to listen to it? I mean, seriously, what does that take, three minutes, tops?"

Penny tapped her foot against the stage and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Fine," she finally answered. "Play it and play it quickly."

Nick was at the piano that was set up for one of the scenes before she was done ordering him around. He played, his eyes watching Sam.

"If I could hold one of my dreams, just for moment, just for a while. And if I could taste that victory, deserve the reward and earn me that smile. If I could say what I've been meaning and what's building up inside. If I could dare to take the chance that's running by my side. I'd climb that highest mountain. I'd scream my victory..."

He was glad that he had learned the words by heart. It gave him a chance to keep his eyes on Sam as he sang and played—not to mention letting Babe slip Penny's notebook back in her locker before she could really notice that her friend had taken it in the first place. Penny's eyes widened at the first line of Nick's song, and then there was fear when she seemed to realise that he was indeed singing one of her songs and not one of his.

She moved quickly, rushing toward the room exit, and Nick was torn between going after her and finishing the song before anyone else realised what had just happened. Luckily, Joe somehow understood what his brother was doing and quickly reached Sam before she could leave the room, holding on to her hand so she couldn't run away.

Nick kept his eyes on her even after the last note had drifted away.

"You're right."

He blinked.

"What?"

"You're an amazing songwriter and I need that song in this play even if it means more rehearsals."

"It's not my song."

"What?"

"It's not my song. Sam wrote it."

"Sam? Sam who?"

"Sam Carter. Sam." Nick pointed to the back of the room where Joe was standing between Sam and the door though she no longer seemed to be making a move to leave.

"Well then..."

"It's still the same great song even if I didn't write it."

"Will she let me use it?" Penny sighed.

"You'll have to ask her."

Penny rolled her eyes and walked back toward her actors.

"Can I leave now?" Sam asked Joe, her eyes fixed on the door that led outside the auditorium.

Joe looked up at the stage and saw Nick nod, his little brother somehow knowing what it was Sam wanted.

"Sorry," Joe said as he shifted out of her way. She nodded and left the room.

"Backfired," Stella whispered to him as she moved to follow Sam, leaving Joe to take a seat and wonder what had just happened.

"So what did I miss?" Kevin asked as he flopped down into the seat next to Joe's.

"Nothing much. Nick sang a song to try and convince the girl of his dreams of... well, something. Stella's angry that I have to kiss Brooke during the play though I got out of kissing her during rehearsals. And we all have a new song to learn by opening night."

"Cool."

"What about you?"

"We got the stuff at Macy's house, and, oh yeah, her father still hates me. Actually I think he hates me more because he thought I was going to leave Macy after he'd convinced me to, and now I'm back."

"What?"

Kevin and Joe froze. There was no mistaking that voice.

"Macy?" Kevin asked without turning to face her.

"What did you just say?"

"I said we got the stuff at your house."

"After that."

"I'll just be..." Joe was gone before he could finish his sentence. Kevin sighed as he turned toward his girlfriend.

"Macy, I know you try to make me feel better about it, but you have to admit that your father hates me."

"Of course he hates you," Macy shrugged. "You're my boyfriend. He's going to hate whoever my boyfriend is. But that's only because you are my boyfriend. I mean, my father loved my friend, Kevin. He just doesn't like my boyfriend, whoever that may be."

"That's not exactly comforting."

"I'm serious." Macy moved so she could perch on Kevin's lap. "I mean, when I was going to go have supper with Alex," Macy giggled at the growl that brought from Kevin, "my father was worse than before any date I've gone out with you. 'Kevin would have picked you up.' 'This guy better bring you flowers, because Kevin would have brought you flowers.' 'Does he know you have to be home by ten, because Kevin knew.'"

"Your father said those things?"

"Yeah. He does like Kevin. He just doesn't like Kevin my boyfriend. He doesn't like the Kevin I kiss, and make out with, and do other stuff with..."

She smiled a grin that she knew would win him over.

"And you don't mind?"

"Kevin, he isn't going to like anyone I bring home, so I might as well just concentrate on bringing someone I like home."

Kevin thought about it for a moment.

"Well, at least your mom likes me."

"Oh, my mom really likes you. She once wrote on my site message board that you were hot."

"Really?"

"That was before we met."

Kevin made a face. "I'm not sure if that helps or not."

"Actually, maybe that's why my father doesn't like you."

Kevin laughed.

"As long as you like me."

"And I do."

"Fine..." Kevin pretended to whine, the pout on his lips not lasting long as Macy's mouth crashed against his.


	15. Chapter 15: But everything works out

Hey all. Thanks for everyone who has made it this far in the story, and for all the comments and reviews. They really got me posting faster and happier. So this is it until my next story.

**Disclaimer**: Still mostly not my characters.

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**Chapter 15: Not everything works out as planned... but it works out well**

Stella shivered as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind.

"You're pouting," Joe whispered in her ear.

"Of course I'm pouting. In two hours you're going to be on that stage kissing that... that girl."

"Really?"

"Well, last I heard you hadn't been able to talk Penny out of the kiss, so I'm just going to have to assume that that's still the case."

"I wouldn't say that."

"You talked her out of the kiss?" Stella asked, spinning around to face Joe.

"No."

The pout returned.

"But I did realise something."

"What?"

"I realised that I joined this play so that Nick wouldn't have to face Penny alone."

"And?"

"And Nick doesn't have to face Penny at all anymore since he's done giving her songs."

"And?"

"And so I have no reason to get up on that stage tonight."

Stella's eyes widened. "What?"

"I'm flattered she cast me as the lead, really I am, but I'm not attached to the idea of being in this play. I don't want to kiss Brooke. Penny doesn't want to take the kiss out. So I think Nick's right. The only way I'm not going to be kissing Brooke is to not be in the play."

"But, what about Penny?"

Joe narrowed his eyes. "Did I mention she broke my baby brother's heart?"

"What about me?" Stella asked with a smile.

"What about you? You never had to kiss Brooke."

"No, I meant what about me. I'm supposed to be in the play."

"Well, you can either go up there and I'll hide in the back so no one can see that I'm here, or you can come on a date with me."

"An official date?"

"An official date where we don't pretend to be with someone else and we make out somewhere other than the library."

"What makes you think I'm going to make out with you when it's just our second date?"

"I'm very charming," Joe said, taking a deep breath.

"Really?"

He nodded, already sweeping in so their lips could meet.

"Very charming indeed."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"I'm sorry. I know. We're going to be late."

"Late for what?" Kevin asked as he opened the passenger door for Macy.

"For the play."

"We aren't going to the play."

"But you're in the play."

"Yeah, but then Joe told me he wasn't going because he doesn't want to kiss Brooke, and so I don't want to be around when Penny gets angry at him. For some reason people think that getting mad at one of us is getting mad at all of us. I am not taking her anger for Joe's sake."

"Then why am I dressed up?"

"We're still going on a date; just not to the play."

He started the car and refused to tell Macy where they were going.

"Kevin?" Macy asked after a few minutes.

"I'm not telling you what the plans are."

"No, it's not that. It's just that I remembered something."

"What?"

"Well, my dad said that if you were going to be sticking around, he might as well make an effort to get to know you and like you better."

"Macy, that's awesome," Kevin said, almost swerving off the road as he looked over at her.

"Yeah, except that he thought a good way to start would be to go see you in the play."

"But I'm not going to be in the play."

"Yeah," Macy said, her teeth biting down on her lower lip.

"Well, the play hasn't even started yet. Can you call him and tell him not to go? I mean, will that make it worse?"

"You're giving him an out from having to watch a school play. Actually, now that I think about it, he might like you a whole lot more because of this."

"All right," Kevin said as Macy dialled her father, "I will remember to quit things more often."

He winked over at her when she gasped at his decision.

So maybe he had won one point with her father. It was a start if nothing else.

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

Nick peeked around the corner and into the auditorium. There was no way he was going in there. There was especially no way he was going in there alone. He didn't care what people said about him, he would run away if he had to.

"What are you doing?"

He jumped at the sound of a voice so close to his ear.

"Hi."

Sam laughed at the sigh that escaped with the greeting.

"Hi. What are you doing?"

"I'm hiding."

"Why?"

"Joe and Kevin and Stella aren't coming, for a number of reasons. I think Penny's having a breakdown and I don't want to be anywhere near that."

"So you're going to hide during the whole play?"

"I thought I'd just escape."

"But all your songs..."

He shrugged. "I like all my songs; I don't have to hear them tonight. Besides, I have heard them so many times during rehearsals that I won't mind missing them once."

"So let's go then."

"What?"

"Let's get out of here." Sam grabbed Nick's hand and tried to pull him toward the exit.

"Wait. What about your song? Don't you want to hear that?"

"Not really."

"What?"

"Well, I understand what you did. You wanted me to think that I was as good as you and Penny so you got her to agree to use one of my songs before she knew that it was one of my songs."

"I didn't want you to think you were that good. I wanted you to know that you were that good."

"Fine, I know now. But..."

"What?"

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes. "It wasn't supposed to be a slow song and it's a note too high and she changed a word in the second verse and—"

"And you're saying I screwed up your song."

Sam narrowed her eyes and fiddled with Nick's fingers where he still held her hand.

"I'm just saying that's not the way I had imagined it."

"You're saying that I screwed up your song and you don't want to hear it be played wrong."

"I just... Look, do you really want to go in there and face Penny by yourself, or do you want to go out with me?"

"Is that even a question?"

He smiled at her and led them toward the door of the school.

"You were also pitchy when you sang it, you know."

"I was nervous. I didn't know if you were ever going to talk to me again."

"You're voice went squeaky."

"My voice does not squeak."

"It was high right there too..."

***J*B*J*B*J*B***

"So wait," Macy said as she held back Kevin's hand which was swooping in to feed her another grape.

"What?"

"If Joe's with Stella, and you're with me, then does that mean that you both left Nick alone to face Penny's wrath?"

"No. If all goes well, Nick's with Sam."

"What?"

"Yeah, he managed not to do the falling too hard too fast thing, but he still fell for her. Hopefully she fell for him as well, otherwise, I'll be getting a call from Nick or Joe soon, and this date will be over."

Macy rested back against Kevin's shoulder, a blanket beneath them as they stared up at the stars.

"Did you set him up with Sam?"

"No. They just... found each other, I guess."

"So, you didn't win the bet."

"Well, you didn't win the bet either."

"So who gets the prize?"

Kevin wrapped his arm tighter around Macy and pulled her in closer against him.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of some way to figure it out."


End file.
